The Phantom
by Clockwork's Apprentice
Summary: He wasn't a hero- far from it… So why should he change his mind when he meets some team?
1. Prologue

**Title: **The Phantom

**Summary: **He wasn't a hero- far from it… So why should he change his mind when he meets some team?

**Genre: **Friendship/Humor

**Rated: **T**  
Disclaimer: **_I do not own nor claim Ultimate Spiderman. I do not own nor claim Danny Phantom. I do own Gear (OC- and now it's NOT Danny X OC)_

**Notes: **Slightly AU. Danny _Phantom/Fenton _is 16. OC is used in this fic- Gear- if you read a few of my other stories.

**Prologue:**

**Danny:**

I tried being a hero for a bit. I guessed that I was a bit naïve or that I didn't think that anything bad would happen to me. Well, that was a lie. I knew that something bad would happen- I knew that I would still get hurt, possibly killed and I accepted that… I just didn't think that it would be by them and the level that they hurt me- I wasn't prepared for that nor did I really accept it.

In a way, I guessed that I was pretty angry with them. I didn't understand why they would do something like that. Most of all, I supposed that it left me heartbroken and a bit empty inside. I should have known that it would happen- it was only a matter of time…

So yeah, I did try to be a hero once and it lead to nowhere. Well, it actually just led to the whole town hating me, my sister dying, and my best friends and even my own parents betraying me. If only the only thing they did was betray me- that might've made it a bit easier. No, they didn't just betray me. They locked me up inside the basement/lab. They experimented on me. They tried to end me- they tried to kill me. Then, they died… Not by my hands and I did try to save them… So having the people I care about betraying me, experimenting on me, trying to kill me, and then dying. It wasn't fun. Needless to say, being a hero sucked and I was done.

I would never go back to being a hero- it wasn't my job. I didn't have an obligation to save people. I tried to save them- yeah, and they didn't appreciate it so what was the point?

At least Jazz tried to help. She still loved me and she was probably the only one who ever did. Jazz, I thought sadly, I should've saved you… No, she wasn't the only one who ever cared about me- I was sure that Dani still did… I just didn't know where Dani was. I hoped that she was okay, maybe I would find her in New York City? I doubted it, but I supposed I could hope, a little bit anyway. Still, maybe it was best for her to not get caught up with me. Not to mention that I had one friend left that still cared- she didn't betray me. She did try to save me, even if she was closer to my sister. I should've called her, contacted her, but it would be best if I got out of Amity first.

Most people would consider me crazy. Maybe I was, but not for the fact that I was going to New York. I was sixteen and headed to New York City- a place where many people wanted to live their dreams… It was a place where my dream of being free and left alone could actually come true. I supposed the best part was that I knew all about the superheroes there so I wouldn't have to worry about a thing…

I stood on the roof as Phantom. The HAZMAT suit was very old, worn, and torn up. There were bloodstains on it- red and green- and stains were still forming as I bled. I gripped my side slightly where a wound was still fresh. It didn't matter how much it hurt because I would get away. I shot up to the dark night skies, faltering slightly since I was still injured.

"Look out New York," I whispered to myself as I flew through the skies, "Cause I'm free and I am_ done."_


	2. Welcome To New York City

**Chapter 1- Welcome To New York City:**

**Third Person:**

Danny wiped a few stray tears from his eyes and his expression became hard. He was determined not to cry- he left that life behind in Amity and he wasn't going to relive it. He wasn't going to think about it. The past was in the past. His best friends betrayed him. His parents dissected him, didn't believe that he was their son, and they experimented on him. Did it still hurt? Yes. Did he still have nightmares? Yes. The past was in the past, however, and he wasn't a hero anymore.

Sometimes he wondered if he even ever was a hero. He did protect Amity Park from ghosts and he did try to do the right thing, but for what? To get shot at, to get betrayed, to be hated, and for everyone he ever loved to die. _Never again_, he thought, _I'm done. I'm through. I'm not Phantom anymore. I'm just… No, I'm not even Fenton anymore… So who I am?_

Was he a runaway? He didn't have a home or family to run from. Was he an orphan? The people that he once called parents didn't think of him as a son and he no longer thought of them as parents. So who was he? _Well, one thing's for sure. I'm just a normal teen now…_

Even if his parents did all those bad things, even if his best friends did betray him, they didn't deserve to die by burning alive… And neither did Jazz. His big sister did try to protect him from their parents and everyone really. It was what big sisters did. She, besides Gear, was the only one that still loved him and didn't betray him.

He bit his lip. _Jazz… I wish you didn't go… I wish that you didn't have to die… I wish that you were still alive…_ He looked up briefly, _Jazz… if you can here me right now, I could really use some of your annoying big sister advice…_

He wasn't just sad, however. He was nervous that someone might see him and think something was wrong. He was nervous that he would stick out… But as he walked through the crowds on the sidewalks he found that no one gave him a second glance. _Good,_ he thought relived,_ good._

His black hair was a bit shaggy and hidden under the black hood of his hoodie. The jeans he wore were a bit large on him and stolen- as was the hoodie actually. It didn't bother him as much it should've, but he really did need some clothes- he couldn't walk around in his ghost form (especially with all those so called heroes) and his 'normal' clothes were just rags from how worn they were.

He forced himself to take a few calming breaths as he walked around New York City. It's so… huge… He couldn't help but look around, a bit in awe at the large buildings. It was so much bigger than Amity- or any other city he's been in. There were so many people; almost all of them didn't even give him a second glance.

"First time in New York, huh?"

Danny turned around to face a guy his age that had a camera in his hands. The guy had brown hair that was light in color and wore casual clothing.

"That obvious," Danny smirked, "How could you tell?"

Danny wasn't one for friends- at least not anymore. He couldn't risk anyone getting hurt- or him. At least, not again. However, that didn't stop him from being nice- he was lonely, hurt, broken, and half-ghost but he wasn't rude.

"Well, when you lived here longer than a week, you don't look around so awed. New York City gets kind of dull after a while," the guy shrugged, "The name's Peter. You?"

Danny hesitantly shook Peter's hand and he debated on whether or not to tell his real name. Deciding for the better, he took an alias.

"Ryan," Danny forced a smile, "How could say it's dull? I mean, it has superheroes doesn't it? Like Spiderman? And the Avengers?"

Danny looked at Peter curiously and Peter forced a smile,

"Yeah! I'm glad you think Spiderman's a hero, not many people do."

"What do you mean?"

_"Spiderman's a menace,"_ a voice filled Danny's ears.

He looked up to see a guy on the large screen- it was the news, he was sure of it. However, the guy only went on and on about how Spiderman was a bad guy. And I thought I had it rough, Danny thought grimly.

"Well, he's for one," Peter pointed to the guy on the screen.

"Well, I still think he's a good guy," Danny shrugged, "Err… It was nice to meet you, but I think I better get going…. Do you know where the nearest library is?"

I need to check the Amity news- see what's been happening and if they're safe.

"Library? Didn't peg you for a bookworm. It's right around the corner."

"Thanks," Danny called out as he jogged around the corner.

"No problem! Welcome to New York City!"

* * *

Danny was quick to get onto the computer at the library and he was surprised at just how many computers there were. Then again, it was New York City so he should have expected the library to be that huge. He started to type rapidly, typing everything that came to his mind that might be able to help him find what he was looking for.

The Amity Horror- Book Into A Movie

Amity Horror- A Family Tragedy 

Amity Park- Family Turmoil 

Danny thought about the last two links and finally clicked Amity Horror- A Family Tragedy. It sounded promising. Sure enough, it led to a news article about the disappearance of Daniel Fenton- of him. He narrowed his eyes as he read.

It was typical that his parents had lied- while he was chained up in the lab; they told everyone that a ghost had kidnapped him and his 'best friends' vouched for that as well. To make those terrible matters even worse, they told everyone that it was Phantom that kidnapped him. _I can't exactly kidnap myself,_ Danny thought bitterly.

As he continued reading different articles and the occasionally website about the book, _Amityville Horror,_ since those were the only things to come up, he grew suspicious. All the articles were about his 'disappearance', his 'kidnapping', his family, and about Amity Park being a 'great place to live.' Not a single article, however, mentioned ghosts or the ghost boy- only vague things like his parents stating that it was Phantom who took him or an article about Phantom 'stealing' or 'kidnapping' the mayor, or that Phantom was evil. Yet, it never stated that Phantom was a ghost or anything of the sort. It also never mentioned the good things about Phantom. In short, all the articles he could find made it seem like Phantom was just a typical supervision.

He rubbed his chin before he finally snapped his fingers. I know just who to call- the one friend that didn't betray me- Gear. Gwyn, nicknamed as Gear, was one of Jazz's friends- Jazz's best friend actually. Gear was very smart and knew about Danny's secret so he knew that she didn't believe the crap about Phantom kidnapped him and he also knew. With his parents, Sam, and Tucker gone… along with Jazz…. Then he knew that Gear was at least safe from them stirring up trouble. Well, not Jazz. Jazz wouldn't cause trouble, she tried to save him and so did Gear.

He chocked back a sob, logged off the computer, and headed out. He didn't have a cellphone, but he did have a couple of lose coins that should be enough for a payphone. As he turned the corner, he ran into someone.

"Ryan?"

"Peter," Danny greeted, "Thanks for the directions, I gotta go."

Danny left briskly, leaving a confused Peter behind. It took him five minutes to find a payphone that offered enough privacy that he trusted it- sort of. He didn't really trust anything or anyone in New York City. He quickly inserted the coins and called the number.

His eyes widened when he realized that when she answered, she was sniffling. That surprised him since Gear was one of the toughest people that he knew. She never cried- get angry, occasionally. She was evil at times- with her pranks anyway. However, she was never sad. At least, she never showed sadness and she defiantly didn't cry in front of anyone.

_"Umm… this isn't a very good time right now… Plus I only answered 'cause every time someone calls me from New York it's really funny since they're drunk or crazy…"_

"Well, I'm not drunk or crazy."

_"Bummer they're always a laugh and I could use a laugh right now… Wait… DAMN IT DANNY! WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN!?"_

He held the phone away from his ear before finally putting it closer again,

"Gear, inside voice, please for the sack of my hearing. And please call me Ryan, that's my name that I've been using."

_"Ryan… really? And damn it dude, I thought you… That doesn't matter. You're alive, right? I mean you're not fully ghostly or anything? And when did you get out? How did you get out? Why didn't you contact me sooner? Dude, do you realize how worried I've been? Do you know how much time I've spent thinking and hacking your parents' tech to try and get you out? And why are you in New York?"_

"Look, Gear, I can explain," Danny ran a hand through his hair, "I… They're dead…"

His voice whispered as he continued,

"They're all dead… I couldn't save them… Skulker got into the lab, he… everything was up in flames… You know, I'm sure since it was all over the news, but… Gear, I did try to save them, even after all they've done… But it was no use… But it got me out, I'm free… I had to escape so I came to New York."

_"And you didn't bother calling me sooner?"_

Her voice was sharp and angry. She was well over the sadness and she went straight to anger.

"I… I know that was stupid… If anyone could've helped, it's you."

_"Flattery gets you no where, but every where."_

"That doesn't make sense."

_"Then ignore it and continue."_

"O-kay… New York City is pretty safe; I mean they have all the heroes since… I won't be needed, I'm done."

_"Done with being a hero? Are you sure, Double-D? I mean-"_

"Yes, I'm sure," Danny snapped, "I'm not sure how much longer this phone will last and I don't have any more change. Think you can meet me?"

_"In New York City?"_

"Uhh… yes?"

_"Sure. Won't be for another week or so, maybe… I'm kind of in the middle of trying to keep all the ghosts out of Amity- don't worry, it's all cool though."_

"Speaking of ghosts, I looked up Amity Park and-"

_"Nothing about ghosts came up? Yeah, I know. Apparently the whole town's under this restriction, privacy thing since the Guys In White are here and everything… I could explain how it works, but I know you'll tune me out. They're looking for you by the way, so just stay low. Like you said, New York City doesn't need another hero. Now, I'll be there in a week… "_

Danny could hear a lot of typing on the computer. More than likely, Gear was hacking into so satellite to get his location.

_"Oh there you are. Wave to the security camera on your left, dude and say hi to me."_

"See, most people would say that what you are doing is illegal."

_"Not if they don't know about it,"_ Gear tsk'ed, _"Besides you never complained about my hacking skills when I hacked into the Guys In White… Now, hang on just a second… Yes, I'd like to know about the house you have for sale-"_

"Uh Gear?"

_"Not you, I'm talking into my other phone…"_

Her voice was muffled for a bit before finally, there was a click, and then she returned,

_"Okay, if you find the neighborhood, you're gonna be in a small house, number 5545. It's on Oakville drive… It'll be ready by tomorrow night."_

"Gear, did you just buy me a house?"

_"Yes, but I did it under a different name and it's totally legal."_

"Where do you even get the money for this? Wait, I don't wanna know."

_"Yeah you honestly don't. So, I'll call you at the house phone- the lady said there would be one. I'll fix everything up so expect a few packages in the mail soon and a call from me. See you in about a week, maybe more."_

Then she hung up._ I think the best thing I liked about Gear, _Danny thought amused as he heard the dial tone,_ is that she totally just goes with the flow._


	3. New Life

**Author Note: Please Review!  
~CWA**

**Chapter 2- New Life:**

**Gear:**

I wasn't happy. I mean, I guessed I should be happy since Danny was alive- well, as alive as he could get anyway. Yet, I wasn't happy. I was still sad about Jazz's death. I was still very angry at myself for not getting him out in time and I was angry at him for not calling me first.

I still couldn't believe it- he was in New York City of all places. It was the same city that the Avengers, Fantastic Four (I thought), and the X-Men were in. I guessed that meant that Danny really didn't have to be a hero again. That kind of me a bit sadder…._ At least I hacked SHIELD and Tony Stark so I could understand whom Danny might meet._

Danny was a great hero. He made Jazz proud and maybe I just thought that he was disrespecting her a bit for giving up on being a hero. Yet, Danny needed me. He needed a friend so I wasn't going to go all nuts on him. I wasn't going to scold him. I would support him in whatever he choose… It was what Jazz would want.

Jazz would want Danny to be happy and he currently wasn't so I would help. She would want me to be there for him so I would. Though it wasn't just about Jazz since Danny really was my friend. Granted, I wasn't as close to him as Sam and Tuck were and Jazz was actually my best friend. He was still a friend so I would do it- I would help him out.

Still, I wondered if I was smart enough, if I was fast enough… That I might've been able to save Jazz. I might have been able to save Danny. I bit my lip. It was my fault, I supposed, that I wasn't able to hack into their systems._ I could hack into places like SHIELD, Stark Industries, and more… But I couldn't hack into a ghost hunting family's tech that was torturing a friend and keeping my best friend hostage._

I spun around in my wheelie chair- the one that had those wheels on it so I could spin it around- to get to work. Boy, did I have a lot of work to do. At least I lived alone- my parents were long gone and I feigned fake papers that said that I was under the care of my uncle, who didn't even exist. Plus I could fake signatures pretty good.

_"~Ding~Dong~"_

I turned on the screen that showed my security cam. Outside my regular-looking house (well it looked normal on the outside) were a pizza delivery guy and the UPS guy. _Ohhh I get pizza and the things I need- I am a happy little hacker right about now._

I was a hacker- I was a great hacker. I wasn't boasting about it, it was just a fact. I had an IQ over 200, could build practically anything, invented a lot of stuff, and my specialty was hacking. That was how I made so much money- I did work as a private investigator, of sorts, that helped out those who were wrongly done. Usually, it was kind of legal and it usually involved into getting information from the government- any government.

In fact, guys that were high up, and people that knew about me and my services, knew me as _Quam Tu_- a secretive hacker that never showed 'his' face and got paid a lot of money for hacking into the governments. It wasn't exactly something I was proud of since I did hack into governments for other people, but eh- I made sure that the wrong info never got into the wrong hands. I was a hacker, I wasn't evil.

I looked at myself in the mirror. My long purple hair that reached a bit past the middle of my back was slightly wavy and my pale eyes were staring right back at me. I didn't have a single sense of modesty so I didn't bother putting on a pair of shorts. I went down to get my pizza and my packages in only my underwear and a black tank top. _Carpe Diem, I guess_. At the UPS guy came often enough that when I opened the door, he wasn't shocked in the least.

"I would tell you to put pants on, but I know you won't."

"You tell me every time, so of course you know I don't bother."

I signed for the package and he headed on his way. I turned to the Pizza delivery guy- who was some pimple-faced freshman that I didn't recognize. Though, he knew me apparently.

"Gy-Gywn!? You haven't been at school recently…"

He picked at his collar uncomfortably.

"You know why I haven't been there," I pointed out, "If you know me, you know that Jazz was my best friend… Anyway, here's your cash."

I grabbed the pizza and the package and then shut the door in the poor guy's face. Jazz was my best friend- I missed her a lot. I just… I didn't have the time to mourn, there was always something else that needed to be done- getting Danny free, helping Danny, working on my project. Were those just excuses? Probably. She didn't deserve to die and those damn so-called parents of hers didn't have any right to lock her inside her room- a place where she couldn't help Danny and a place that she had a hard time getting a hold of me. Her parents had a tough security system- the bars on the window, the shield, and the electric wires…

I looked down at the package and smirked. _Oh Double-D (Danny Dude) you're gonna love this…_

**Danny:**

_I don't know how she does it,_ I thought bewildered.

The small house was very nice. It had three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a basement, an attic, kitchen, and basic stuff. I wasn't sure how she managed to do everything so it was ready by today. I looked at the small note that was waiting on the couch.

_Dude,_

_I have connections, don't question it, just roll with it. The package will be there soon- I sent in yesterday night. I'll be here in a week, probably a bit later. Check out the new place- I'm sure you'll like it. I can set up a lab in the basement when I visit, if you want… And I have something I want to talk to you about- after all this ghost stuff in Amity is taken care of, I'll kind of need a break. So I might be crashin' it over there with you, if that's okay._

_Sincerely,_

_Gear_

_ P.S. If you ever do something as stupid as not call me again when you get free, I swear I'll end you myself… Or at least prank you for the rest of your afterlife, dude._

I smiled amused and looked around the house. Every thing had hard wood floors, dark gray walls, and it was pretty awesome. There was a simple blue couch, TV, and normal stuff in the living room. I found my bedroom easily enough- it had a black door, black hard wood floors, and gray walls with a black stripe at the top. There was a large round bed that had light ecto-green silky sheets, NASA and Humpy Dumpty posters, a book shelf, and basic stuff.

Out of curiosity, I checked out the extra bedroom that Gear would probably crash in. On the dark purple door was another note,

_Dude,_

_In case you didn't notice this would probably be the room I'll be staying in- if that's okay anyway._

_Sincerely,_

_Gear_

_P.S. Touch Silky and I will end you. I left her here so she gets comfortable with a new home._

I shook my head and ignored the threat. I opened the door. There was light hard wood floors, light blue walls, a large round bed that had dark purple sheets, a book shelf, a desk that had a bunch of tech on it and a lot of computers. On the wall above the desk was about three different computer screens and then there was a screen on the desk, there were about three keyboards and mouse as well. The girly bed took me by surprise when I spotted a stuffed animal on it. It was a teddy bear sized stuffed seal. Around its neck was a collar that read Silky.

It reminded me a bit of Jazz's stuffed bear. I bit my lip. I really missed Jazz, so much that it hurt. I was sure that Gear missed her too… I supposed it wouldn't be too bad having Gear over- we were both mourning, after all…

Still, I really miss my older sister, even if she did get a bit annoying sometimes.

I went back to my bedroom to open the package that she left in there. There were several vanilla envelopes and something that was wrapped in paper that seemed to be clothes. One envelope had a note from Gear, stating to use the credit cards wisely and to just get me some clothes. One envelope had student files in it- my student files, I was sure of it. It said Ryan Branson on them.

_Dude,_

_Yes, you have to go to school. Sorry, but you have to get an education. If you don't go, I'll end you. Now, for the cover story- I'm your older sister, Gywn Branson, but I'm not home a lot because of the apprenticeship I have with a scholar. Our guardian is Charlotte Branson, our aunt, and it's her number on the files. No, there is no real aunt. The number is one of my many ones and I'll disguise my voice. Anyway, good luck!_

_Sincerely,_

_Gear_

_ P.S. I hope you like the new clothes. The HAZMAT just doesn't cut it anymore._

I raised an eyebrow, not happy that I had to go to school, but I didn't want to upset Gear. She was scary when she was angry. I looked at the last part of the package- it was clothes. It was a black leather jacket, a black scoop-neckline shirt, white jeans, and white fingerless gloves… It was a new outfit for my ghost form… And I loved it.

**Third Person:**

"I still can't believe that someone moved in there," Aunt May said, "It's been empty for years."

"It's not too bad," Peter said as he munched on cereal, "Right?"

"I don't know," Ava whispered, "Guys, wouldn't having someone so close next door kind of put our secret at risk since we're all staying here."

"There's houses all around us," Sam pointed out, "None of them noticed anything, I doubt this one will."

"Have you seen the new neighbors yet," Peter asked.

"Oh, I did meet one of them," Aunt May smiled, "When she was first moving in. She was about seventeen actually, though I thought she was twenty when I was first saw her."

Aunt May laughed,

"She wasn't mad, apparently she got that a lot… She said her name was Gywn, but she had this silly little nickname. She won't be staying there long, apparently she's always away on trips, but she did say that her little brother would be staying there… Let's see… what was his name….Ryan, I think."

Peter raised an eyebrow. _Ryan? There's no way it's the same Ryan I ran into yesterday. That guy was kind of odd._

"Oh there he is now," Aunt May pointed out the window, "Why don't you all go and say hi!"

Knowing that they couldn't get out of it, they all tread out of the house.

"Ryan," Ava asked, "You don't think it's the same Ryan you told us about, Peter?"

"Might be," Peter shrugged, "But I doubt it…"

Peter did tell his team about his encounter with Ryan. He didn't have a reason to- except for the fact that he was worried that Ryan was a runaway. Ryan had baggy eyes, bruises, and looked hurt. He was just concerned.

"At least we know he's not a runaway," Sam commented.

"Yeah, I guess," Peter mused, "But he still doesn't seem exactly happy… Happier, maybe."

At that moment, they reached the house and Ryan- still in the same clothes that Peter had met him in. He turned around at them, an eyebrow raised.

"It is him," Peter whispered.

Ryan looked at them curiously,

"Uh… Hello? Peter, right?"

"Right," Peter smiled, "Looks like we're neighbors now. I live right across from you. This is Sam, Ava, Luke, and Danny."

Ryan, to their confusion, chuckled slightly, _Danny and Danny. Good thing I said my name was Ryan otherwise everything would get pretty confusing pretty fast…I'm just gonna ignore the fact that his name is Sam…_

"Nice to meet you all," Ryan said politely, "I'm Ryan."

He shook their hands with a smile.

"So Ryan, are you going to go to the high school nearby?"

"Yeah," Ryan nodded, "I'm gonna start on Monday."

"Cool," Peter cheered, "We'll see you there! Feel free to join us at lunch."

"Will do," Ryan said though he continued to look them over.

_Huh, kind of an off bunch, aren't they?_


	4. Nightmares

**Author Note: Did I mention that it is NOT Gear X Danny? Gear was Jazz's best friend and thinks of Danny as a little brother and Danny thinks of her like another older sister. Besides, I think I might**** ship Gear with someone on the team (Spiderman's team, I mean, and NOT Danny).  
~CWA**

**Chapter 3- Nightmares:**

**Danny/Ryan:**

Over the weekend, I did use those credit cards to get some much-needed clothes. I also got some medicine- due to Gear's constant bickering for me to do so. Gear had assured me that while she didn't have a degree in medical medicine, she did have an IQ over 200 and that even a monkey could tell me what to get. She told me to get some Bad Dream Sprinkles- I wasn't exactly too pleased that she was treating me like a kid. Yet, she assured me that it worked well for night terrors. I also got some medicine to help with anxiety and stress- also paid from the credit cards that Gear had given me…

Sometimes I wondered how Gear had so much money, but I was pretty sure that I didn't really want to know. Actually, there was a lot about Gear that I didn't know. I just knew that she lived alone since her parents died when she was young and that she was crazy smart along with crazy good with technology. Oh and the fact that she was really into the whole chi/zen thing to calm down and that she was my sister's best friend.

I shook my head to get rid of thoughts about Jazz- I don't think I could ever properly mourn her until I could… Oh, I don't know… At least visit her grave. I wasn't even sure if she had a grave, or what it might look like it. Will it say that she was a great sister? Will it be next to our 'parents' graves? Will it be by mine? Even if mine wasn't really me, since I wasn't dead… But I was declared dead so I did have a gravestone… Somewhere… I really did have to visit it sometime along with Jazz's grave, and I supposed the others' as well….

I popped my back and with a solemn expression, sleep found its way to me.

* * *

_"Danny," Sam bit her lip, "We're sorry…"_

_"But it's for the best dude," Tucker added._

_I couldn't help but stare at them in shock- in absolute shock… and in sorrow. I felt my heart jump and stop at the same time. This couldn't be happening. This couldn't… This can't be real. This had to be a dream of some sorts- a sick, twisted dream… No, a nightmare. It had to be._

_My best friends did not just tell me that they told my parents my secret. They didn't just tell me that they told my parents. They didn't just tell me that. They didn't just tell me that because they're my friends- my best friends. Best friends didn't just do that- they didn't go spilling deep secrets to your parents- especially if you were a half ghost and your parents were ghost hunters._

_I started to take deep breaths in order to calm down. I had to calm down and think- think. My parents might not experiment on me and rip me apart molecule by molecule. They might accept me, after all during that whole Freakshow incident, they did accept me so what was to stop them from accepting me again?_

_As much as I wished that they would accept me again- I knew they wouldn't. My fears were confirmed as Jazz ran into the room. Her eyes were darting around frantically and she was out of breath._

_"Danny! RUN!"_

* * *

_"I'M YOUR SON," I screamed desperately, "I'M YOUR SON… Please…"_

_My voice cracked due to my sobs and screams. My parents… No, I don't think I could even say parents anymore… The scientists were looming over me with their goggles on and a scalpel in their hand. I tried to move, I tried to get out, but I couldn't. I was held to the cold hard slab by anti-ghost straps._

_"Ha, don't make us laugh. You took our boy from us," Maddie hissed, "You're a ghost. You're not our son…"_

* * *

_My screams were deafening._

_"Scream all you want, everything is sound proof," Maddie pointed out._

_I couldn't help but scream, however, as the scalpel pierced my skin. I wondered why they would do this… I was their son… I was their son… I was their son…_

_"You're not our son," Maddie slapped me._

_I didn't realize I was repeating that out loud. I continued to scream, squirm, and try to stop them anyway I could. It was no use. It was no use at all. I felt the tears in my eyes as I screamed in agony as my chest was cut open._

* * *

_I lost caught about how long I was down in the lab and how many hours and days that I've been being tortured. They gave me water occasionally since I convinced them that I needed it and I was more helpful for experiments if I wasn't 'ended.' A few times they gave me something simple to eat like bread as well…_

_I wondered where Jazz was and where my so-called-best-friends were. Did they know what was happening? Jazz had to know, so why wasn't she coming out to save me yet?_

_"Jazz," I whispered weakly._

_"No use," Maddie tsk'ed, "She's still insisting that you are good, Phantom. I don't know how you brainwashed her into thinking you're Danny."_

_"Because… I am… Danny," I coughed and winced when I noticed my hands were covered in ectoplasm._

_"YOU ARE NOT OUR SON," Maddie roared, "You're just an ectoplasmic ghost that has stolen our son's face…"_

_"At least Jazz can't come down here," Jack pitched in, "She'll get herself hurt trying to help the ghost."_

_The ghost… They called me the ghost a lot. They also called me many other names- it, ghost, that thing, monster… But Jazz… What did they do to her? Was she okay? I struggled against the straps, ignoring the flaring pain in my wrists and chest as I did so._

_"What did you do to her," I snarled, "Where is she?"_

_"She's safe from scum like you," Maddie spat, "Her bedroom is locked up tight… I doubt even that Gywn girl could get through it."_

_Gear… Where was she? Did Gear know what was going on? Most likely. I felt an odd sense of peace knowing that while Gear may be failing, at least she was trying to get me out and more importantly, get Jazz out._

* * *

_I screamed as loud as I could, mostly from pain and just absolute horror. My chest was bleeding and I was injured badly. My whole body felt like it was on fire. I didn't care- no all that mattered was what were right in front of me- all the flames. My parents were screaming as well- their suits weren't fireproof._

_With my weakened state, I tried to stand up and I wobbled. All around me were flames, but they haven't reached me just yet. The lab was starting to collapse. Maybe it wouldn't have if the flames hadn't originated in the lab. I wobbled over, trying to get to my parents that were trapped under the fallen debris._

_"No, we don't need your help, ghost," Maddie spat._

_I hesitated when she said that. She didn't want my help- even if without it she might die._

_"We hate you, so we don't need your help," Jack coughed out._

_I hesitated again- this time longer… Maybe it was that hesitation that allowed another piece of the lab to fall on top of them- crushing them. In horror and shock, I continued on through the lab- trying and struggling to get out. I didn't know where Skulker was- he disappeared almost as soon as he appeared. At the moment, I didn't care._

_I screamed again as the flames burned my sides. I hated that I couldn't use my ghost powers- not at the moment anyway. Whatever they drugged me with before this started, it was making me very disorientated._

_I struggled to get out of the lab, stumbling on things as I went. I couldn't grab hold of anything- it was burning. I coughed violently. I spotted Sam and Tucker's bodies on the floor, the flames engulfing them… They were at the house- why? I bit back a sob and continued on. By the time I got to Jazz's room, it was already in flames as well._

_I pounded against the door- knowing that I couldn't get through with it in lockdown._

_"JAZZ!"_

_"DANNY!"_

_I could hear her crying,_

_"Get out of her Danny! Get out while you can!"_

_"I can't! I can't leave you behind!"_

_I pounded harder against the doors. It was no use. Even if I were stable enough to use my powers, it wouldn't be any use since the lockdown was ghost proof. I screamed as flames reached me. She was screaming as well._

_"DANNY!"_

_"NO! I'm not leaving you," I gritted out._

_Then… The screaming stopped. _

* * *

I woke up screaming. I shot up out of bed, my body soaked in cold sweat. My breathing was labored. Jazz, I thought as tears started to settle in the corners of my eyes. I couldn't save you… Why couldn't I save you… I should have been able to save her- that was what heroes did… I just wasn't a hero. Not anymore and I wondered if I ever was in the first place.

I got out of bed as I read the clock, 7 A.M. School would start an hour. I had to get ready. I looked down at my hands; they were still trembling. I took a steadying breath before I made my way to the bathroom. My reflection stared back at me after I washed my face. There were bags under my eyes, but they were almost gone due to a goodnight's sleep- besides the nightmares it was the best sleep I had in a long time.

I looked at my reflection- at my chest. The scars were all over my body- varying from small to large in all different shapes. Most of the scars were just littered across my chest- almost randomly. Yet two scars stood out the most. One was the burn scar from the fire. It went along my side and was darker than my skin. Then there was... _that_ scar. It was darker than the others and it was the largest. It was in the shape of a Y, the two ends were at my shoulders and it went down the middle of my chest to my navel.

I traced the scar slightly. I bit my lip and shook my head. It was best if I just forgot. That was why I moved to New York City- to start a new life and starting a new life required me to forget my old life… or at least move on from it. I wondered if that was possible- could I move on? What about the Guys in White? Vlad?

I started to hyperventilate. I didn't bother with a shower and just phased off any sweat that was on my body. I ran my hands through my messy hair, and pulled on some jeans and a dark red t-shirt. It only took me a matter of seconds to do so. I was in the middle of tying my shoes when I noticed that someone was knocking on the door.

I ran to the door and was surprised to find Peter and his friends standing there, looking at me concerned.

"Uhh… yes?"

"We heard screaming a minute ago," Peter said quickly, "Is everything okay? No one's hurt? That was you screaming wasn't it?"

All of them looked on edge. I rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly,

"Umm… sorry… I didn't mean to… I mean-"

"You didn't mean to scream," Ava pointed out, "But what was making you scream?"

"A very bad nightmare," I admitted sheepishly, "I didn't mean to bother anyone…"

"A nightmare," Sam muttered, "It sounded like someone was getting murdered…"

"Oh," Peter said, scratching at his head, "We're sorry to bug you…"

"It's fine, I'm surprised you guys actually came to check in," I laughed.

"Well," Peter said, shifting his weight awkwardly, "I… I guess we'll see you at school, I guess…"

The odd group left, saying goodbye as they went. I shut the door with a soft smile. It was kind of nice knowing that if something were to happen here, at least they'd be fast to check up on me. _Almost heroic…_


	5. New School, New Friends

**Chapter 4- New School, New Friends:**

**Danny/Ryan:**

Well, so far I had already seen a guy that reminded me of Dash and oddly enough- he and Peter seemed to get along, sort of. It wasn't nearly as bad as it was with Dash and I. Though Peter had yet to talk to or even see me. That was fine by me. _If I had friends, I might put them in danger. I may not be a hero anymore, but that wouldn't stop any other ghosts from coming after me… oh crap other ghosts might come after me, why didn't I think of that before?_

I groaned into my hands.

"It's your first day, can't be that bad, yet, can it?"

I turned around to see Peter with a smirk. Beside him were his friends- Sam, Ava, Danny, and Luke. I gave them all a nod and a small smile.

"It's not going to be as bad as you think," Ava pitched in.

"Well, I think it'd go better if I knew where I was going," I rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly.

The others chuckled as well. I wasn't sure why I was still there- maybe because they reminded me so much of the friendship that I had with Sam and Tucker. Yet, I knew that it was dangerous to be friends with them. It could put them in danger and especially since the Guys in White or worse might find me… Even if I doubt that they will with Gear helping me. It was only a matter of time.

Remembering that I shouldn't make friends, I stopped smiling. Peter gave me a concerned look,

"Hey, Ryan, you all right?"

"I-I'm fine."

I forced a small smile. Peter didn't seem so convinced.

"If you say so… If you need help finding your way around, let one of us know and feel free to join us at lunch!"

"Will do," I answered,_ not._

**Third Person:**

"Are sure Ryan is okay," Ava whispered, "He didn't seem like it this morning."

Ava wouldn't admit it- mostly because she knew the others would disagree- but she still felt as if something was off with Ryan. Most of it was from the screaming that she and the others heard in the morning. The scream wasn't just something from a nightmare. It wasn't just a scream you heard in a scary movie. It was the scream that you heard from someone whose life was about to end- it was the desperate last scream of a person. Something about that didn't sit right with her. Yet, Peter seemed to care about it- if anything because he didn't want someone to get hurt. It was pretty obvious that something was hurting Ryan- as for what, none of them knew.

"He said that was just a nightmare," Peter waved it off, "Besides, the guy seems pretty cool. Don't ya think?"

Ava nodded, as did the others. While something was wrong with Ryan, he did seem pretty cool. He was just a maybe troubled normal teenager that was probably from some small town. Yet, he had the type of personality that got all of them to like him almost instantly.

"He's troubled," Danny pointed out, "But he does seem filled with good intentions."

"Totally," Sam agreed, "But eh… shouldn't he be in class too?"

"He might not even have this class," Luke pointed out.

"Or he got lost," Peter mused.

Just at that moment, the final bell rang and the teacher started to begin class. The class came to a pause, however, two minutes after the bell when Ryan burst through the door. He winced and gave a sheepish expression,

"My apologies… I kind of got lost."

He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. Peter gave a small smile, but he supposed that Ryan didn't seem him. Ryan didn't smile back, he just looked at the teacher for instruction.

"Ah, you must be the new student… Class, meet Ryan Branson."

Ryan turned to the class, his black hair falling in front of his blue eyes ever so slightly. He gave a small smile.

"Mister Branson, please take a seat behind Mister Parker."

Peter gave a wide smile and a slight wave. Ryan nodded back and headed to the empty seat right behind Peter.

"You sure you're okay dude," Peter whispered and Ryan gave a nod,

"Yeah, right as rain. Thanks."

Ryan didn't look at Peter; he just kept his head down and didn't speak another word. F_riendships are dangerous. They can end up like Sam and Tucker- betraying me or dead._ A small part of him wanted nothing more than to make friends- make Peter and the others his friends. They seemed like nice people. After all, they did seem to like him and they weren't mocking him for being new to New York.

* * *

Ryan looked around the cafeteria after he grabbed his tray. _Great, now where do I go? Way to plan ahead, Danny… I really need to stop referring to myself in third person._ He looked around a bit desperately. _There's a free spot at the apparent-jock's table, the spot next to the guy with a piece of ham on his face, there's Peter waving to me and gesturing to the spot next to him, and then there's a totally empty table in the back._

He decided that if he truly wanted to be alone and to not have friends then he should probably go with the empty table. He kept his eyes down and didn't glance at Peter or the others once.

"Geez," Henry said, "What's his problem?"

Henry looked over his shoulder briefly at Ryan- who was focused on the tray in front of him. Henry knew that Ryan had seen Peter, so why did he ignore the gesture to sit with them?

"He probably just doesn't like crowds," Sam said as he bit into his burger.

"Perhaps he is just lonely," Danny mused, "He is after all in a new city and he does seem a bit shy in nature…"

"Or he just didn't see you waving," Ava pointed out as she bit into her own lunch, "Not everything's so mysterious, guys. Seriously."

"Either way, he needs a friend," Peter said as he stood up, grabbing his tray, "All of us at once might scare him away… So I think I'll just go over there alone, if that's okay?"

"Sure, dude," Sam shrugged, "But seriously, why are you so determined to get this guy to be your friend? I mean, he's pretty cool, but he doesn't seem like he really wants friends in a way, ya know?"

"I know… He just reminds me of myself before I-"

Peter shot a look at Henry and MJ before looking at the others,

"I had friends," Peter finished, _and before I got my powers._

They all nodded a bit in understanding. As MJ watched Peter walk over and sit next to Ryan, she smiled,

"I don't know, I think Peter is right. The guy's pretty cool. I mean, he hasn't done anything wrong yet so… Plus doesn't everyone need a friend?"

"Hey," Peter said as he sat down in the empty spot beside Ryan.

Ryan glanced up, raising an eyebrow. _Did he just abandon his friends to come sit with me?_ Ryan nodded,

"Hey."

"So, how are you liking this school so far? I mean, I know it's not the best, but it's pretty cool. Right?"

"Right," Ryan agreed.

The two fell silent- Peter because he didn't know what to say and it was getting awkward and Ryan because he didn't want to make any friends.

"Look," Peter finally said, "I'd like to consider you a friend, if that's okay, I mean. So tomorrow, come have lunch with me and the others. Deal?"

Peter held out his hand, _come on, shake my hand…_ Ryan stared at the hand before finally, he smirked.

"Maybe," he finally answered, "Maybe."

"I'll take that as a yes," Peter cheered.

"It's not a yes, it's a maybe," Ryan pointed out.

"Might as well be a yes," Peter shrugged.

_I hate that he might be right,_ Ryan thought_, I just might have to make friends- whether I like it or not since he's so persistent._


	6. Meanwhile

**Author Note: Sort of a bit of a filler chapter.  
~CWA**

**Chapter 5- Meanwhile:**

**Danny/Ryan:**

_"Danny dude,"_ Gear's voice said over the phone, _"You need some friends. That's kind of comes with the whole normal teenager package."_

I ran a hand through my hair with a sigh. I knew telling Gear about Peter and the others was a mistake. Now she wouldn't stop calling me. She kept pestering me to make friends with them and to not push them away. I plopped down on the bed, the cell against my ear.

"Oh gee, what a great idea," I rolled my eyes, "Then what? We become best friends and they find out my secret? Then they'll betray me too."

I scowled bitterly, but Gear was persistent. I could almost see her sticking her tongue out at me.

_"No. You become best friends with them, get over Sam and Tucker, and then tell them when you're ready."_

"Or not tell them at all," I pointed out.

_"Trust me, you'll want to tell them."_

Something about the way that she said that made me think that she knew more than she was letting on. I sat up on my bed,

"Gear? Is there something you're hiding?"

_"Pfft… I'm always hiding something, Double D. It's like a second nature."_

"A very disturbing nature."

_"But a nature nonetheless. Besides, I know you'll tell them if you become best friends because you're you. You're trusting… And the secret of ghost powers will just eat you up inside if you don't tell someone… Besides me, that is. Well, you didn't really tell me I kind of figured it out and-"_

"-Gear," I said firmly, "You're babbling."

_"Opps. Sorry."_

"Look," I ran a hand through my hair again as a bad habit, "I doubt I'll tell them, if I even do consider them friends in the future… They'll just betray me."

_"Look, I don't mean to sound inconsiderate, but you need to get over it. Yes, they were your best friends. Yes, you did have a crush on Sam and might've loved her- I don't know since I don't really believe in love, but… Anyway, they are dead to you- literally. Yeah, it can be hard to take, but that's no reason for you to get yourself in a rut of depression. Just accept things as they are, mourn, and move on!"_

I was a bit taken back by Gear's tone of voice- it was harsh and firm. I knew Gear could be blunt- but I didn't know she could be that harsh. If I didn't know any better, it almost sounded like she was holding back her own cries or feelings. My surprise turned to anger as I gripped the sheets on the bed.

"Oh," I snapped, "Just like you accepted, mourned, and moved on from Jazz!"

I heard a stifled gasp from the other end. I shut my mouth. That was unfair to say- even if I thought it was true. I accepted my sister's death, even if I haven't really properly mourned over her- that wouldn't be done until I got to visit her grave and I couldn't do that… Not just yet. I knew Gear, however, hadn't. Still, she was going through things too so it wasn't very nice of me to do that.

"Gear, I- I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

_"No, you're right,"_ she whispered, "_I guess we're both kind of messed up, huh? I know you've accepted her death, even if I haven't. I've just been so busy, ya know? Tryin' to preoccupy my mind and-"_

I heard her sniffling on the other end.

_"Shittles,"_ she cursed, even if it was one of her unique curses, _"I'm getting all these freakin' feels and shit now. I'm a blubbering mess."_

"Somehow, I doubt you're a blubbering mess."

It was mostly because while it sounded like she was tearing up slightly and her voice was cracking, it didn't sound like she was crying her out. Though I bet for a person like Gear- just sniffling counted as blubbering. Besides, I honestly could never picture her actually blubbering and crying her eyes out. It just wasn't her.

_"Awe, you're just saying that, Casper. Tell ya what, I'll stop working on my projects and I'll… I'll try to mourn."_

Her voice dropped lower and softer,

_"I… I can only try though. She was your sister just as much as she was mine- even if we aren't blood. So I'll try… But that makes you a brother, you idiot, so you better try and get that Parker guy as a friend, you hear me? Or I'll kick your ectoplasmic butt when I get to New York."_

"Understood," I gulped.

Then she hung up. It wasn't until I was almost asleep did I remember that I didn't tell her Peter's last name. Then again, I shouldn't be surprised. She was a hacker after all. She probably looked up his school file. With her skills, I wouldn't be surprised if she knew the secret identity of Spiderman. I chuckled to myself, knowing that even if I begged her to – she wouldn't tell.

**Gear:  
**When I hung up the phone on Danny, I wiped my eyes with a nearby tissue. I wasn't crying. I didn't cry. I was_ Gywn Gia._ I was _Gear._ I was _Quam Tu_. I was not a sappy, crying chick… I read The Fault In Our Stars, and I didn't cry. I mean, yeah, I did cry during Marley and Me, but that was a dog. How could I not cry when it was a dog?

Yet, I promised myself when I was ten, at my parents' funeral, that I would never cry because someone died. I wouldn't cry because of a person- _period_. I was determined to keep my promise so I sucked it up. I grabbed my usual clothing- a black-cropped top, black shorts, my thick metal belt, and black boots. I secured the goggles around my neck- they were helpful and sentimental. They were black with yellow-tinted lens.

I made double-checked the tech on my arm- the almost futuristic tech bracelet on my arm that went from my elbow to my wrist. It one of the first things that I had ever made and it had almost everything I knew on it. That included info about Danny, myself, the governments, everything. It was also attached to a chip I had in my brain- made so that I can recall things easier and look things up. To make that simple, with that chip my brain was the screen and my tech bracelet was the keyboard/flash drive/everything else. My belt was similar to the bracelet. It had pouches, buttons, and everything in between. It held a lot of different gadgets of mine, ghost hunting tech and more. I knew it didn't look like a lot, but it's the same tech that Danny's parents used to hide all those weapons on them.

I headed to the garage- and yes, it was actually a garage. It wasn't my lab- my precious babies in the garage were my current working transportation vehicles. Since I wanted to keep it on the down-low, I didn't grab the hover-board. If I traveled using that, everyone would know it was me since I was the only one with such a device in Amity Park besides the Red Huntress… I mean Valerie. My eyes widened, _Oh crap, Valerie. I have to check up on her- even if she wasn't really a close friend._

I grabbed my cell phone, but decided that such a visit was better done in person. I put the cell in my black bag and headed out using my motorcycle. I hardly used that precious baby since I made the hover-board, but I used the actual car even less (favoring the tricked out weapons vehicle more). I guessed I did have a pretty good-sized garage, but that was a reason why it was underground. I used the back entrance to get outside so I was in the park. In a way, I felt a bit like Batman or a superhero with a secret hidden entrance.

My black helmet was over my head securely, and even though it hid my face, I knew that everyone I had passed knew it was me on the motorcycle. With the helmet on, however, I wouldn't be able to hear them talk about me unless I wanted to.

As I made my way to Valerie's, I realized that it was pretty quiet. It was only two in the afternoon- on a Saturday. Where was everyone? Probably at the Nasty Burger or home. The town didn't get any more ghosts besides the occasional ectopus- usually handled by Valerie or me. I made sure that the portal was shut down properly- which wasn't easy with people crawling all over the place and the lab practically in ruins. I also made sure that the portal was transported into my own lab before Vlad got his greedy paws on it.

The Guys In White was relocated in to a place in Brazil where there were reports of ghosts. There were ghosts there- I made sure there were before I had reassigned them there- Oh hacking, I do so love you. I just wanted to keep them bust so they wouldn't look for Danny.

I wondered about Vlad, however_. Will he go after Danny? Will he dare to?_ I stopped as I reached Valerie's house. Taking off the helmet, I ran a hand through my hair, made sure security on the cycle was on, and then headed up to the house.

When she answered the door, her eyes were wide and a bit red. I adjusted my bag strap uncomfortably as she sniffled and scowled,

"What are you here for?"

"Just checking up on you," I tried to smile, but it probably ended up as a wince,"Look, I know things are rough-"

"-Rough," she repeated as she narrowed her eyes and her fists clenched, "ROUGH? Rough doesn't even begin to explain it! Danny- Danny's dead! And it… and it's all Phantom's fault."

It was times like this that I wished she knew (and accepted) the truth. I could tell that she liked Fenton, just not Phantom. If she accepted Phantom, then the two of them, I thought, might make a good couple. _Even if I started out shipping him and Sam together at first…_

"Val," I sighed, "I know you and I don't really get along, but you are… were… Danny's friend, and a pretty dang good one at that so for his sake, and Jazz's, I thought I should make sure you were holdin' up. So, you okay?"

"Dandy," she grumbled.

Knowing that Valerie's head was as thick as a brick wall and more stubborn than a mule, I just headed on my way. I stopped by the floral shop and grabbed some white orchids. _Next stop… Jazz…_

When I reached Amity Park's graveyard, my heart seemed to drop and it was getting difficult for me to breath. I got control of myself, locked up the cycle, and headed in carefully. For a girl that never believed in love- as in romance-, I did believe in sibling love. I thought that bonding between friends and siblings was very important and that it could be the strongest force out there- the love and protection of a big sibling for the younger sibling. Then again, I always was an only child so that might've been why I was… almost desperate… to make that sibling attachment with someone.

Love, on a romantic matter, was something else entirely to me. It didn't make sense to love someone that way to me. To give yourself up, your body up, to just someone you 'love' didn't make much sense to me at all either. I mean, the body was just that- a body- so why be so uptight about it? Now, don't get me wrong- I wasn't a slut. I only had sexual relations to people I was in a personal relationship with. I think it's kind of funny. I don't believe in love, but I do believe in mental and physical attraction. I wasn't too sure. Maybe I just wasn't a love person? Maybe I just didn't like the commitment part of it… Maybe I was just scared that if someone loved me that they would leave me like my parents did.

When I reached Jazz's grave, I dropped to my knees and my breathing hitched. Her grave sat right beside her parents and it was right before Sam and Tuck's. I didn't like that she was so close to Sam's and Tucker's graves. They didn't deserve it. Jazz was too good of a person to end up like that. I put the orchids, her favorite flower, on the grave as I put my hands on my knees. I reached into my bag and pulled out a few vanilla and lime scented candles. It would help me relax so that I might actually be able to say what wasn't in my mind, but in my heart.

"Jazz," I whispered as I looked at the grave, "You were my best friend… like a sister. No, even a twin!"

It was true. I always joked with her that we were twins- we were both very smart (even if her IQ wasn't as high as mine), natural redheads (I dyed my hair purple), and our eyes were almost the same color.

"Gosh… I miss you so much," I bit my lip, "You know I've never been one to give some sappy speech or cry or anything… But I… I really miss you, Jazz. You were my sister and… It's like I told Danny, the blood of the coven is thicker than the water of the womb. The family we choose can be closer than our blood family. I didn't even have blood family… Just you and yours. I know that sounds a bit selfish, doesn't it? But, you… you were the only person I could talk to you."

I breathed in the scent of the candles to calm me,

"You were the only one who understood me and accepted me. You knew about my bad habits, the hacking and the illegal things I did and yet, you accepted me. You helped me get out of some ruts and some pretty bad mind places. Heck, you're the one that got me into aromatherapy, acupuncture, and the whole zen/chi thing… And it helps a lot, you know that… I just… I hope wherever you are that you're in a good place and that you're watching over us. Watching over me and watching over Danny. You know how much he needs it…"

I took one last breath of the candles, letting the scent fill my nostrils. I didn't even care about the few tears going down my face as a sudden wind blew across the graveyard, blowing out the candles as it swept through. For just a moment, I'd like to believe that the wind was Jazz giving a sign from the great beyond- not a ghost, a… I supposed as an angel. I just knew that when that wind blew out the candles and swept through my hair, I knew that Jazz was okay and that she was watching over Danny and me.


	7. Friends

**Chapter 6- Friends:**

**Third Person:**

It had been just one week. One week since Ryan had joined the high school. One week since he moved in across the street. One week since he called Gear. Now, he considered Peter, Sam, Danny, Ava, Harry, MJ, and Luke as friends. It was all Gear's fault though. She was the one that got him to actually accept the friendship and he didn't regret it.

It was hard at first, but eventually he stopped comparing his past friendship with Sam and Tucker to the one he had with Peter and the others. It wasn't fair to either side and like Gear said- he needed to move on and suck it up (though her choice of words on that conversation- which had taken place last night- was not so nicely put).

A week of schoolwork, homework, and gym and he was ready to crash and burn. He plopped down on the bed and closed his eyes. He didn't even bother to change out of his school clothes. He was almost asleep when…

"Hey."

He shot out of the bed like a rocket. He grabbed the intruder's wrist and pushed them against the wall. It wasn't until he had his arm against the intruder's throat and a firm grip that his eyes widened. She used one hand to grab his arm- the one that wasn't against her neck- to push him off of her. She bended the arm behind his back and then kicked his back so he fell onto the bed. She stood a bit of a distance away with her arms crossed and a smirk.

He stood up and rubbed his back.

"Really? Was that necessary?"

"Your skills are getting rusty, DD," Gear said, "Besides, I said I'd be here in a week, so here I am. Plus, I've… moved on and all that."

She scratched at her head uncomfortably. She stood at the end of his bed in her usual clothing with the same metallic brace on her arm, the same metallic belt, and the goggles around her neck. Gear had been there for a while- she had to put her stuff up in her room after all. She just decided that now was a good time to check on his reflexes.

"I'm not rusty," Ryan muttered.

"Yes you are, but that's okay because now that I'm here and it's the weekend, I can get started on the lab down in the basement. You did check that out right?"

He nodded. He did check out the basement. It looked like the start of a lab, or a very futuristic band room. It had metal floors, metal walls, and he was pretty sure that it was soundproof. He remembered seeing all the boxes of tech and gadgets. He even saw the Ghost Portal there. He chose not to stay down there too long since it reminded him of the lab that his parents- he shook his head. He just wasn't sure how Gear managed to get it into the basement without anyone knowing. Then again, it was Gear and she did have her ways.

"So how did you get the portal," Ryan asked curiously.

"Very carefully," Gear huffed, "How else? Look, I'm gonna get started on the lab since it's gonna take a lot of time. There's video games in the living room, you know, to keep you busy."

"How do you know I'm not gonna go back to sleep?"

Gear gave him a look,

"It's only seven at night. If you go to sleep now, you're gonna be up later. In that case, if you are up a lot later tonight- if you wake me up, you're good as ended."

"Understood," Ryan gulped at her glare, and then laughed as her stomach growled.

She turned a slight shade of pink,

"Shut up. I haven't eaten diner."

"Same here. Tell you what, you work on the lab, I'll make some diner if you wanna come back up in like an hour?"

"Sure," Gear shrugged as she put the goggles over her eyes, "See ya then, Double D. Make sure the food's edible."

He laughed as she disappeared into the lab. As soon as she was gone and he started to cook (A skill that he learned from Jazz since his mother didn't exactly make edible food), the doorbell rang. He quickly made sure that the pot wouldn't over boil and he ran to get the door. He was a bit surprised to see Peter and the others, looking a bit defensive and nervous. Peter narrowed his eyes and looked behind Ryan as if he was looking for something.

"Hey, Ryan," Peter greeted, "Is everything okay?"

"Uhh, yeah. Why?"

"We saw someone sneak into your house," Ava explained, "and we didn't want to just barge in."

"Sneak in," Ryan muttered confused, "Oh! That was probably Gear."

"Gear," Sam scratched the back of his head, "Uhh… who's that?"

"My older sister," Ryan waved it off, "She has a habit of doing that, among other things. Umm… would guys like to come in?"

* * *

Ryan excused himself as he went to the restroom. The others were gathered around the rather large diner table since Ryan had invited them to eat there.

"I hope the food's edible," Sam joked.

"It smells like it should not only be edible, but delicious as well," Danny added.

"It was nice of him to invite us for diner," Ava mused.

"Yeah," Peter agreed, "Besides, now we might be able to meet this older sister that Aunt May was talking about."

"I hope she's not too much older," Sam said with a wicked grin, "and that she's hot."

Ava nudged him as Ryan came back. He smiled and then went back to cooking. They all chatted about various things- school mostly.

"Don't worry," Ryan laughed, "It'll be done in a minute."

"So, Ryan," Ava said, "Where did you live before New York?"

For a moment, Ryan stopped. His whole body tensed and his hands clenched. It was something that they all noticed. In a brief second, it was gone and he relaxed. He smiled.

"Just a small town, people rarely hear about it," he laughed.

Even though he laughed, the tension was still a bit thick. They all noticed the way he acted just a moment before- if Peter didn't know any better, he would say that it was fear.

"Ehem," Luke said, "So tell us about the town then? Must be a lot different than New York."

"Oh you bet," Ryan laughed, "I mean, it was a pretty small town. All of us always hung out this place called the Nasty Burger. Trust me, it's better than it sounds. Granted, my parents once ruined the experience when they-"

Ryan stopped when he realized what he was saying. They're not my parents. He looked down and tensed.

"Ryan, you okay?"

"I'm fine," Ryan breathed, "I'm fine."

There was a tense air in the room. Sam shifted,

"So is your sister hot-"

Ava nudged him in the ribs,

"Don't be a jerk, Sam."

"Uhh," Ryan shifted his weight uncomfortably, "I honestly don't know since she's my sister and all… But others have said she's hot, yeah…"

"Sweet," Sam muttered and Ava nudged him again harshly.

"Ehem," Peter coughed, "Will we get to meet her?"

"Sure, she's down in the basement now working on her projects, but she'll come up as soon as the food is done… She can smell it miles away."

Ryan shuddered,

"Honestly, it's horrifying to get between her and food… Oh, but when she comes up, don't mention her arm."

"What happened," Danny asked gently.

"Nothing bad," Ryan laughed, "She has this metallic bracelet that goes from her elbow to her wrist and if you ask her about it, she'll give you some bullshit story that it keeps her alive and honestly, I just get really tired of hearing that story."

Ryan's guests and friends looked at him blankly and waited for him to continue. Ryan raised an eyebrow,

"What?"

"Well," Sam said, "Why does she wear it then? And why does she make up that story?"

"It's so people won't bother her asking for her to take it off and so teachers wouldn't bug her about it," Ryan shook his head, "But she has it on because it's… it's one of her inventions. It's very important to her. It keeps a lot of information on it, works like a cell phone and laptop, and there's a lot more, but honestly, I tend to tune her out."

He laughed awkwardly before waving his arms dramatically as he brought the pot from the stove to the table,

"Diner is ready. Bon-"

The house shook, interrupting him. The others tensed and got ready for a fight. Yet, their watches didn't go off. Ryan, however, didn't seem concerned. He just shook his head and waved his hand,

"Don't worry about it. It's probably just Gear."

"How did your sister do that," Peter asked confused, unless they're mutants.

"Honestly, with her, probably some experiment gone wrong."

"Well, gone wrong wouldn't be the exact words I would use," a girl said as she walked into the kitchen.

She was a year older than some of them and was the same age as the other half of them (seventeen). She had long purple hair, an odd tech bracket on her arm, a black-cropped top, black shorts, black combat boots, a metallic belt around her waist that was thick and had several buttons and pouches, and yellow-tinted goggles over her eyes. She didn't look up as her head was titled down. She was focused on the metallic bracelet on her arm.

Sam whistled, hot damn, she's hot. Ava raised an eyebrow. Peter wondered what tech the bracelet-thing was. Luke shook his head. Danny stared at her- wow, she's really…

"Oh," Ryan raised his eyebrow, "Then what was that?"

"A… slight miscalculation," she said slowly, "But either way, everything is up and running."

"Everything?"

"Everything I've worked on so far, the real basics though. The keypad, basic security, so on…"

It was then that she noticed everyone else. She smiled brightly and took off her goggles, revealing bright pale eyes. There were small imprints from the goggles around her eyes and Danny noticed that her eyes looked a lot like Ryan's. Not so much in color, but the feelings that swirling in them. Both looked like they've been through hell and back. Eyes are the gateway to the soul, Danny mused, and their souls are broken…

"Hey," she smiled, "I'm Gywn, but I only let Ryan call me that. Everyone else calls me Gear."

"Why do they call you Gear," Danny asked politely, "Gywn is a beautiful name."

"For a beautiful girl," Sam added with a wink.

Gear crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. Ava nudged Sam and Gear smirked slightly as Sam winced.

"They call her that because she's crazy smart," Ryan pitched in, "She's built a lot of different things and is very good with computers. She built a hover board from scratch. Plus it was from her own design, so she had to make her own blueprints and calculations."

Gear took a seat next to Danny.

"That's impressive," Peter complimented, "I mean, I might be smart, but I can't build a hover board."

Just my web shoots and webs, Peter thought, I think I could build one if I tried though.

"It's not too hard," Gear said modestly.

* * *

Later that night, Gear finally did get the lab done. It wasn't easy and it led to a few scrapes on her, but it was worth it. The portal was up and functioning. Plus, Gear was careful to make sure that it didn't resemble the Fenton Lab for Ryan's sake. Yes, there were metal floors and walls, but the floors were painted over with a very special dark purple paint. It wasn't entirely ghost proof- not for Phantom. Phantom's ectosignature was logged into the system, she made sure of that. Therefore, he could freely use his powers without having a bunch of weapons come out from the walls and threaten him. He could also go through the walls/floor/roof if needed. For other ghosts, however, it wasn't nearly as safe.

The portal was on the wall, functioning correctly. There were just one table in the corner that was filled with malicious tech and a desk that Gear would be working at. Besides that, the floor was mostly open. The walls, however, were a different story. There were shelves holding various things- tech, ghost hunting guns, and other ghost hunting gear. There were keypads, computer screens, and so on… There was a TV screen built into one section of the wall as well. She spray-painted a black DP symbol on a seemingly normal metal wall. Yet, there was a small keypad next to it. Should the keypad be activated, the hidden door of which the symbol was painted over would open to reveal a secret safe room.

With it completed, Gear went to sleep with a smile on her face. In the other bedroom, Ryan was doing the same. Except he was smiling for a different reason. They really are some pretty cool friends…


	8. To Be Or Not To Be

**Chapter 7- To Be or Not To Be:**

**Third Person:**

Danny looked down at the fabric in his hands- the old HAZMAT suit stained with his blood. He looked over briefly at himself in the mirror. The glowing green eyes of his ghost form looked back at him and his hair was far past the job of bleach being snow white. He wore the new Phantom 'uniform.' White fingerless gloves, a black scoop-neckline shirt, black jacket, and white jeans adorned his figure. The clothes had been suited in the same little box that Gear had set them in for the past month.

Taking a deep breath, he put the HAZMAT suit in a specially made box. He locked up the box securely with the key and then he slid the box under the bed. He didn't need to see the box. He didn't need to see the HAZMAT. He didn't need to keep seeing reminders of the past… What he did need was some action.

Yes, he had been training to 'keep up his game.' After all, Gear was right. He was getting rusty. He had been training in the lab with Gear occasionally. He had been practicing his powers very well. He just needed something more than training. He wanted to go out and practice his powers. He wanted to… be a hero again.

He shook his head. He couldn't just be a hero again. He… He couldn't. Being a hero was what got him into trouble. A small smirk placed on his lips. _Maybe not a hero then…_

* * *

Phantom flew through the city. The stars weren't visible through the city lights, but he thought maybe if he flew high enough he might be able to see them. He needed to clear his head. He couldn't believe that for a short moment, he considered… He considered being a thief. That wasn't what Jazz would want. He clenched his jaw, ignoring the hunger pains in his stomach since he forgot to eat diner.

"I just… need to think."

He went to a nearby building and sat on the roof with a million things running through his head. He couldn't become a hero. Being a hero was what caused everyone to hate him. It caused nothing but trouble. If he was a hero, then people would think he was a villain like they did before or like how every adult seemed to think Spiderman was a villain.

_If I'm a hero, they think I'm a villain… Might as well be a villain._ A villain could do what they wanted. They didn't have to worry about the public publicity. They had freedom.

Gear broke laws. She thieved things before. So why couldn't he? What were the differences between Gear and him? Why could she do it and he couldn't. Yes, there were a lot of people to worry about if he went with that decision. He wasn't too concerned about Spiderman or any of the other heroes… Except for Thor. Besides, if he was a villain- that didn't mean that he had to be an evil villain. He didn't have to kill people. He wouldn't have to hurt people. He would just steal things. He would just fight the heroes.

He bit his lip and made a choice- a choice that would make a mighty difference in his life.

* * *

Gear looked through her files with a small concentrating frown. She typed away at her computer, focusing only on the screen. She opened and closed files. It was supposed to be a normal file check- making sure that everything was where it should be. While it was rare, very rare, she did occasionally get a few computer bugs. It was just a normal check up. Then she noticed that her file on Vlad was missing.

"What is that fruitloop up too," Gear muttered to herself.

She knew that Vlad had to be the one that was messing with her files- there were very few that could hack her. It pissed her off and made her worried. She typed away again, the sound of clicking filled the lab. There was nothing- absolutely nothing on Vlad on the web that was bad press. It was all gone.

"He's gonna pay for messing up with my babies, no one touches the tech but me," Gear growled.

She typed away at the computer and then managed to find just one back-up file. It was the one file that she wanted protected the most- besides Phantom's that was. It was that file that held a certain little news clip of Vlad during the 'prank war.' It was the very file that shattered Vlad's ego. With that single file, a plot for her 'revenge' settled into her mind.

"Look out Vladdie," she smirked.

She typed away and found out that Vlad was having a conference in New York in a few months. She smirked and already a revenge plan was playing in her head. That fruitloop, she thought, as she made her way upstairs.

"Danny," she called, "Dude! We have a problem!"

She didn't receive an answer. Confused, she made her way up to Ryan's room. She didn't bother knocking and she was shocked when Danny wasn't there. She didn't see a note.

"Damn it, dude," Gear muttered, "Where did you go?"

She glanced at the clock- it was past midnight. _Oh shittles,_ she thought, _I didn't realize it was that late… and I didn't even have diner._ She put a hand on her stomach as it grumbled. _No, gotta think… where could have DD gone? Library? Arcade? Where?_

* * *

_I'm not a worrying mother,_ Gear chanted, _I am not a worrying mother. I am not a worrying mother._ It wasn't until past midnight, on a school night, that Gear finally admitted that she was acting like a worrying mother. _No,_ she repeated,_ I'm not a worrying mother. I'm not a worrying mother._

She called up Danny. He answered with a yawn,

_"Hello?"_

"Hey, Danny. It's Gear."

_"Gear? You are aware that a mind is weak without rest, right?"_

"Yeah, but this is emergency."

At that, his voice turned from sleepy to serious.

_"An emergency? What happened? Do we need to come over? Are you alright?"_

She smiled to herself at his concern.

"I'm fine, thank you. It's just… Is Ryan with you guys?"

_"It's two in the morning,"_ he said confused, _"I'm sorry, but he's not here. He didn't leave a note?"_

"No… But when he gets back, I'm gonna kill him for making me worry… Well, as long as he comes back… Sorry for waking you up, dude."

_"It is not problem, but be sure to rest."_

"Will do, thanks."

She hung up as she started to pace the living room. _Where could he have gone? He isn't a hero anymore. He's defiantly not a villain. He's not a druggie. He's not a rebel. He has no reason for being out this late…and I really need to eat…._

* * *

"Are you sure," Spiderman asked.

Iron Fist nodded,

"I'm positive. She said that he didn't leave a note."

"Okay, but why is it me," Spiderman asked, "Why not get everyone else too to search for Ryan?"

Iron Fist shook his head and Spiderman nodded in understanding,

"Right. Sam and Ava won't exactly be pleasant tomorrow unless they get some sleep… Which brings my next question."

Spiderman jumped in front of Iron Fist,

"Why are we searching for Ryan?"

"He is a friend, is he not?"

"Uh-huh, but all friends need sleep…. I think you're doing this to impress a certain little techie…"

Iron Fist shook his head in denial, but Spiderman continued,

"Totally! I knew it! I knew you liked her! Why else would you give her your number?"

With that, Iron Fist had to endure a lot of teasing from Spiderman… And he knew it was only the beginning.

* * *

As soon as Ryan came through the front door, he saw Gear standing there in the living room. Her arms were crossed, her lips were pressed into a frown, and she looked more than just angry.

"Where have you been young man," Gear scolded, "No calls, no notes, no notice and… you brought food back, so all is forgiven."

Ryan handed her the bag of take-out,

"Since when did you become a worrying mother?"

"Not a worrying mother," Gear grumbled as she took out a taco from the bag, "And where have you been seriously?"

"Thinking," Ryan answered honestly.

"About what? Or is it one of those guy hormonal thoughts that while I know what they are and have heard them before, I'd rather not hear them from you out loud."

Ryan turned red,

"W-what? N-no!"

Gear was unphased as she continued eating her taco. She motioned for him to continue. He shifted,

"I was thinking… about action. I mean, I need some action."

"I can look up the phone number of any girl at school if you want, or at least that Julie chick in my class since she's a slut…Plus, I know the number of a few strippers and my cousin's a hooker so I could hook you up-"

"Not that type of action!"

Ryan turned even redder as he put his head in his hands, she's impossible.

"I meant fighting!"

With that, Gear sat up and propped her elbows on the table as she rested her chin on her hands,

"Oh! You were out kicking a some ass, weren't you?"

She smirked to herself. That is good for him. I knew he'd come around sooner or later. I wonder if he figured out Peter is Spiderman, that might explain him being a hero again… Oh, she knew every superhero's secret identity- a result of hacking SHIELD from boredom. Yet, she didn't want to tell Ryan. He needed to figure it out on his own, better yet- Peter needed to tell him.

"No," Ryan sighed, "I thought about it, though."

"Being a hero, again?"

"That… and being a villain."

Gear didn't even looked that phased even though she was a bit shocked. She just continued eating, waiting for him to continue.

"You're not shocked," Ryan asked.

"Of course I am, dude," Gear swallowed her food, "But here's the thing- we're family… I mean, you could be a hooker, and ten to one, I'm the pimp that hooks you up."

"…What?"

"I mean, Double D, that we're family and no matter what you choose to be, I'll support ya, okay? Besides, I've had my fair share of illegal activity."

"I bet you haven't stolen anything top scale though," Ryan pointed out.

Gear smirked,

"Then you'd lose that bet. I've done a lot of things I'm not proud of Double D, and I do mean _a lot_. Though just because I regret my crimes, doesn't mean I would necessarily undo them. So, yeah I would support you."

Ryan bit his lip as he thought. Finally, he replied,

"I… I understand, Gear… And thank you, for that… But I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to be a villain, for Jazz. But that doesn't mean that I will be a hero- never again and I mean that."

_Sweet butter,_ Gear thought, _thank goodness he's not going to go bad. While what I said was true, I just don't want that life for him… And I'm pretty sure that he will change his mind about that hero thing- hopefully sometime soon…_

As they both went to sleep that night, many thoughts ran through their heads. Gear was frustrated since it wasn't until she was almost asleep that she realized she forgot one important thing- she forgot to tell him about Vlad.


	9. A Friendly Outing

**Chapter 8- A Friendly Outing:**

**Third Person:**

"I hope you feel better soon," Ryan said thoughtfully.

Gear smiled faintly,

"Thanks, dude… I think it was the tacos… damn tacos…"

She rubbed her head. She was currently lying in bed, her stuffed animal in her arms with the blanket pulled up to her neck. There was a trashcan besides the bed.

"Just…rest up… I'm gonna go get pizza with Peter and them."

"Tell Danny I said hi," Gear mumbled.

"Will do," Ryan smirked, "'Cause I know you like him!"

With that, he left.

"Damn it, dude," Gear shouted, but he was already gone.

Gear groaned again. She wasn't really sick; she just needed some time to think. She needed to think about Danny- Danny Rand that was. He was a pretty good guy; she had to admit that. Yet, there was something inside of her that told her it wasn't a good idea. She shook her head since she also had something else on her mind- Danielle. Yet, thinking about Danielle for too long made her a bit too stressed…

She also had yet to tell Ryan about Vlad. She didn't want to worry him. Besides, it might be nothing- there was a chance that it was nothing. It might be a system error. Still, without those files, if Vlad made an appearance there would be no way that she could prove that he was evil, corrupt and a fruitloop. Those files had everything from his sudden wealth, to videos of him showing being 'unstable', to records of records of proving false documents- meaning that he did fake a few bills here and there. It was everything she needed to take him down. She just hadn't used it yet since at most, he would get some time in jail and they wouldn't know about his ghost half so he would just possess a few judges here and there, and he would be out legally. Or he would just escape just as easily.

_It's a Saturday- I should go out and do something… Long as I don't run into Double D or anyone._

* * *

Ryan looked down at his watch as he continued on his way to the Plaza. _I hope Gear's okay, it's not like her to get very sick like this._ He shook his head and then smiled when he spotted Peter on the sidewalk with the others.

"Hey guys," Ryan greeted with a smile, "Sorry, Gear couldn't make it. She's sick."

"Sick? I hope she's alright," Danny said.

"She's just a bit under the weather," Ryan said vaguely.

He knew that Gear would kill him if he said anything along the lines of- '_it was probably the tacos,'_ or _'Her stomach's bothering her._' _How I Met Your Mother_ showed him that apparently a girl always said _'under the weather'_ for a reason- so people wouldn't picture them being explosive from either end.

"So," Ryan continued, "The Plaza?"

"Change of plans," Peter admitted sheepishly, "Harry's stuck at his house since there's some business partner there, but his dad said that we were all invited. So, you in?"

Ryan felt an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach at the mention of a business partner. He just wasn't sure why. Ryan glanced down at his attire,

"Are you sure it's okay to come in like this? Casually, I mean?"

"It's fine," Peter laughed, "Come on!"

* * *

Gear headed back to the house, a six-pack of beer in her hands. Did she lie to the guy at the cash register? Yes. Would she even be able to finish a six-pack? Hopefully. She knew that alcohol was a temporary escape, but she needed that. She needed a temporary escape from her mind- it was always running on overdrive. It caused a lot of stress, a lot of tense in her head… Not to mention so many headaches.

She knew it was dangerous for her drink… She was underage. She was still young. She hadn't gotten drunk in a full year. Jazz wouldn't want her doing it, especially since Gear only recently wasn't an alcohol. Jazz was the only to know and she helped Gear. It was because of Jazz that Gear didn't drink anymore.

_I just… I need a clear head, and usually that comes after a hangover… at least for me. It's not like I'll get alcohol poisoning, I'll only drink two…_ There was a nagging voice in the back of her head, _'then why did you buy a six-pack…? You know you'll drink the whole pack… You might die… You'll be passed out tomorrow… You will be useless tomorrow… What if Vlad shows up early? Phantom needs help? Too bad, cause you'll be drunk off your ass…'_

She chose to ignore it as she walked inside. She set the beer on the table, opened up one of them since they were cold and then headed to the bedroom to change into pajamas. In her bedroom, she stopped for a moment, as she looked a picture. It showed a smiling little six-year-old Gear with a six-year-old Jazz. Gear's hair was its natural color and she didn't wear the goggle, belt, or the arm piece. Instead, she just had on a cute little purple dress with her hair in a purple headband. Little Jazz was pretty cute too. Gear remembered that day. She had been crying because she got lost and Jazz helped her. It was when they first met. Gear smiled softly at that memory.

The two girls were best friends until they were eight. That when Gear moved. It wasn't until Gear was sixteen that she saw Jazz again… And it was like she had never left.

There were more pictures of the two best friends. One showed sixteen-year-old Gear and Jazz just smiling like idiots as they hugged- the day they were 'reunited.' One showed a sixteen-year-old Gear with Jazz and Danny (in Phantom form)- it was taken after Gear found out about Danny's secret. One showed Gear in a black bikini with her hand up to the camera in an attempt to not get her picture taken and Jazz laughing in the background. There were many more pictures, each with its own wonderful memory.

Gear changed into pajamas. It was just a comfy, over-sized dark purple t-shirt that was too big for her and had a cartoon gear on it (it was a gift) and her purple and black striped underwear.

As she exited the room, she looked back at the pictures with a sad smile.

* * *

Ryan's mouth opened as small wisp escaped from it as they entered the main room with Harry. Ryan's eyes darted around, _a ghost? Here? Now?_ Peter glanced over,

"Hey, Ryan, you okay?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine…"

Ryan's mouth was in a thin line as he thought of ways to get out of lunch. Alas, it was no use as Ava and Peter practically dragged him to the dining room.

"Hey, Dad," Harry greeted.

"Harry," Mr. Osborn said crisply, but then he noticed Ryan, "Ah, and who's this? Another friend?"

"Ryan Branson, sir," Ryan greeted formally as he shook hands with Mr. Osborn.

"Pleasure," the older man said curtly.

Ryan took a seat beside Peter and Danny. Harry was seated on the other side of Peter, yet he wasn't beside his father. Then, beside Danny were Ava, then Sam, and then Luke. There were plates in front of each of them that were filled with delicious expensive food. Mr. Osborn stood up. Peter's spider sense went off and he looked around frantically as he tensed up.

"And allow me to introduce my business partner, Vladimir Masters."

The second that Vlad walked into the room and took a seat with a smile, Ryan was already glaring at him. Peter looked between Ryan and Vlad and realized that the two somehow knew each other._ Apparently they don't get along. Ryan looks like he's about to kill Vlad and it looks like the feeling's mutual._

"Mister_ Branson,_" Vladimir said with a sly grin, "What a pleasure it is to see you again."

"Vlad," Ryan spat as he stood up.

He turned to Mr. Osborn,

"Thank you for inviting me, but I have to go."

"Oh no, dear boy," Vlad protested, "Please don't leave on my account. We're all friends here, aren't we?"

Ryan glared at Vlad, wondering if maybe if he glared hard enough Vlad's head might explode. Vlad, however, didn't back down. The two glared at each other, though Vlad's glare was a bit subtle and sly.

Finally, Ryan sat back down, but he held his glare.

"You two know each other," Mr. Osborn inquired.

"Oh, yes," Vladimir smiled, "Ryan's father is a dear old college friend of mine…"

Vlad turned his head to Ryan,

"Speaking of, my condolences."

Ryan's eyebrows crinkled in confusion. Something in Vlad's voice showed signs of actual compassion- he meant what he had said. Ryan, however, didn't let down his guard- he couldn't. It was Vlad.

Peter and the others looked over to Ryan in confusion and sorrow. _I wonder who died,_ Peter thought, … _Probably his parents from the way he spoke about them that one time._

"Thank you," Ryan managed to say through his gritting teeth.

Vlad gave a curt nod in acknowledgement.

* * *

"So, Ryan," Peter said, "You know Vladimir Masters? He's the richest guy out there, like Tony Stark!"

Currently, the group was making their way back to their house.

"Yes," Ryan answered curtly.

"He's really a family friend," Ava asked.

"No," Ryan's eyes were lowered and almost seemed to glow green, "I'm telling you right now- Vlad is no friend of mine. He's a fruitloop. He's crazy. He's manipulative. He's evil."

"Err…" Peter mumbled, not sure how to reply. _I'm sure Vlad's not as bad as Ryan is making him out to be._

Ryan's eyes were hard; _I have to warn them about Vlad. I don't know what he's up to or what he might do. I can't let them fall for his tricks… It's dangerous._

"You have to trust me," Ryan finally said, "You just have to trust me… I can't tell you why or anything, but please… As my friends, you have to trust me. Don't, under any circumstances, trust Vlad Masters."

With that, Ryan walked up to his house and disappeared inside. When he got inside, he found Gear having a 'staring contest' with an opened bottle of beer and a six-pack (minus one) nearby. It was a sight that made him forget about his anger simply because it took him by surprise. Her hands were on the edge of the table with her chin resting on it as she was 'eye to eye' with the beer despite the fact that it was starting to get warm.

"Uhhh… Gear?"

"Yeah."

"You drink?"

"Used to."

"And…what are you doing, exactly?"

"It's taunting me…"

Finally, she stood up. Without saying a word, she emptied the bottle into the sink, licking her lips slightly and then tossed it, along with the six-pack, into the trash.

"Don't give me that look," Gear scrunched up her nose, "It's better for me not to have the temptation around. So… what's up?"

"Well Vl-"

_"I take a look at my enormous penis and my troubles start a meltin' away~"_

"-Hold on, Danny's calling me."

Ryan laughed,

"You have that as Danny's ringtone?"

"No, that's my normal ringtone," Gear corrected as she answered the phone.

"And just how did Danny get your number?"

"I gave it to him, now shh!"

* * *

"I'm sure that Vlad isn't as bad as Ryan is making him out to be," Ava tried to reason.

"I don't know," Peter said as he rubbed his chin, "We've fought a lot of bad guys and Vlad… Vlad caused my spidey sense to go off."

"Why," Sam asked confused, "I mean he didn't do anything dangerous."

"I don't know," Peter said as he shrugged, "But Ryan's right. We shouldn't trust him… But maybe we should call Gear and see what she thinks. I know a certain guy has her number…."

He nudged Danny, who flushed slightly. Sam whined,

"Dude, you got her number… No fair!"

"How did you get her number," Luke asked.

"Long story," Danny answered simply, "We wanted to exchange information about what incenses are better… I'll give her a call."

_"Hey,"_ Gear's voice answered.

"Hello, I have a question."

_"Sure, what is it?"_

"Have you heard of the man by the name of Vladimir Masters?"

He could hear her gasp,

_"Vlad! Vlad's there! DAMN IT RYAN WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME!"_

_"I WAS GOING TO,"_ Ryan's voice said on the phone.

Finally, Gear was back on. Her voice was a bit different- it was a bit hard, rough.

_"Look, Vlad's a bad guy. He's a total creep. He's evil. Don't trust him, okay? Please."_

Danny nodded,

"Very well, thank you."

With that, he shut the phone and turned to his friends,

"She said that Vlad is indeed evil."

"Now he believes it," Sam mumbled.

"Because it's his precious Gear saying it," Peter added.

Ava nudged the two to shut up as Danny turned pink. Before anyone could say anything more, Peter's watch beeped. Peter spoke to Coulson for a moment then turned to the others,

"That was Coulson! He wants us on the helicarrier! Now!"


	10. Suspicions

**Author Note: Well, I will probably update Stories of the Dead today, but since it's Easter it's kind of hard to work on the stories, but I already had this chapter done. I updated yesterday (this story) and I usually don't update two days in a row... However, HAPPY EASTER! I will update this again tomorrow (to stay on track and because I already have it written up).**

**~CWA**

**Chapter 9- Suspicious:**

**Third Person:**

As soon as Gear hung up the phone, she had continued to have her conversation with Ryan. However, it didn't take long before the conversation ended up with both of them feeling frustrated.

"Look," Ryan finally snapped, "I'm just gonna go blow some steam down in the lab!"

"Good," Gear said as she rubbed her temples, "You do that."

"I will."

"Fine."

"Fine."

He left briskly and Gear watched him leave. A second late, she grabbed the six-pack of unopened beer that was lying untouched on the top of the trash. _I think I'll be needing this later… But just what is Vlad up to?_

She headed straight to her room. As she entered the room, she pressed a button on the metallic bracelet she wore. A section of it slide up and out, revealing a keyboard. She typed at it and soon, a wall of her room lifted up revealing a long desk that had many keyboards and gadgets along with about ten or so computer screens. She sat down at the chair and started to get to work as soon as she put up the beer in the mini-fridge.

She started to type away. J_ust what are you up to Vlad… Nothing yet, I don't think. You're too smart, you're meeting wasn't supposed to be for a while- you wanted to be here for a reason… A warning then. You were just letting us know that you were here. You wanted to take us by surprise, but just what is your plan? You're not stupid enough to make a move before your meeting set in a month. You wouldn't want that to be ruined…_

* * *

"Glad you could all make it," Agent Phil Coulson said as he walked in.

Currently, the team was in their 'superhero get-up' as they sat around the table.

"What's this about," Spiderman asked.

"We've detected some odd energy fluctuations a certain house," Coulson informed, "a certain house that belongs to your friend, Ryan."

"And Gear," Iron Fist pitched in.

"What about them," Nova asked, "What type of energy?"

"Unknown. So far, it appears to be just small bursts at a time, heavily concealed I might add. It wasn't easy to pick up."

"What does that mean," Spidey asked, "I mean, Ryan said that Gear has her lab down there so it might be that."

"If that was the case, it would be a steady signature, it wouldn't go in and out. It's almost organic. It's like someone… activating a power," Coulson explained and added a small hint in his voice.

"Are you suggesting that Ryan might be-"

"-A mutant," Coulson finished, "Yes, it's possible. All I ask is for you to be careful. He might not be aware of his powers or he might have control. Either way, it's best to be careful, but have the benefit of doubt."

"But if he was a mutant, wouldn't the X-Men pick him up," Spiderman asked.

"Not necessarily. Like we said, it's unknown. It might just be nothing. It might be him getting powers," Coulson shrugged, "All we know is that the possibility of it being him are pretty high… Especially with what we found out."

"You did a background check on him," Spidey said as he narrowed his eyes.

"We do a background check on everyone," Coulson said, unconcerned, "You shouldn't be surprised. But we were a bit shocked to find out that the records were faked."

"What do you mean," White Tiger asked.

"Ryan Branson doesn't exist… And we can't figure out just who he really is."

* * *

"Look, I'm not saying that Ryan isn't cool," Ava defended herself, "He's just… weird, ya know?"

"No," Peter denied, "He's pretty cool… Plus he thinks Spiderman is cool too- so that's a big plus!"

"That's not the point," Ava shook her head, "Just think about it. We've become his closest friends. Don't tell me you haven't noticed anything weird?"

"Well, I'll tell you what I noticed," Sam said, nudging Danny, "That Gear is a total looker."

Danny frowned slightly and Sam groaned,

"Oh come on dude, I know you've realized it! There's no denying that you've been checking her out…"

"I don't care much about appearances," Danny pointed out.

"Yeah, but they're a plus," Sam laughed, "And she's smart- you've seen her, she's more of a geek than webhead!"

"Hey," Peter protested, but Sam continued,

"And she's into all that aruatherapy, actupen-something, and meditation."

Danny shook his head,

"It's aromatherapy and acupuncture."

"You actually have been spending a lot of time with Gear," Luke mused.

They all knew that Danny 'had the hots' for Gear. It was pretty obvious- though both were pretty oblivious. Ava felt her eye twitch,

"As I was saying, don't tell me you haven't noticed anything weird? He tenses up on the subject of parents, Gear dodges almost every single question we ask, he won't tell us where he's from exactly, he and Vlad Masters have some type of feud, his eyes seem to glow almost green when he's angry. Plus you remember what Coulson said Ryan might be a-"

She was interrupted by 'ooh's from a crowd nearby. She narrowed her eyes,

"What's all that about?"

"Probably Flash," Peter shook his head, "He's probably fighting with some poor kid and… wait, is that Ryan?"

The team pushed their way through the crowd carefully. Sure enough, there stood Flash and Ryan at the center of the commotion. Flash was obviously upset about something- probably because his shirt was wet and Ryan was the one holding the coffee. Ryan more than likely had spilled the coffee on Flash by accident. Ryan looked a bit nervous. He put up his hands in defense,

"I'm really sorry, Flash. I didn't mean to-"

"-Oh sure you didn't, Branson," Flash growled, "But I do know you're going to regret it. This is my favorite Spiderman t-shirt!"

Flash went to punch Ryan. Ava nudged Peter,

"We have to do something. Ryan's gonna get beat."

"I-" Peter started, but he stopped as he looked back at Ryan and Flash,

"Woah."

They all watched as Ryan easily and gracefully dodged Flash's punch. Flash swung again, but once again, Ryan gracefully dodged. Not one drop of coffee swished out of the coffee cup- even though there was still some left.

"Should we help him," Sam scratched at the back of his head, "I mean, he looks like he's got it covered."

As they watched Ryan easily dodge each and every hit that Flash sent, the idea of Ryan having powers seemed a bit more believable. The fight ended when Ryan dodged yet another punch, moved so he was behind Flash, and swiftly under kicked him. Flash fell down with a thud as Ryan shook his head. Y_ou've got to be kidding me._ He spotted Peter and the others and hurried over with a smile before Flash could get back up.

"What was that all about," Ava asked.

"I spilled coffee on him," Ryan shrugged, "No big deal, except now most of the coffee is over his shirt."

Ryan frowned as he looked down at the coffee cup, I might have to get more.

"That was pretty… cool," Ava said slowly.

"Yeah man," Sam cheered, "Stick it to him!"

Sam high-fived Ryan. Danny, however, had his guards up. _After seeing how fast he reacted, it's easy to believe Agent Coulson now… But what about Gear? Does she know? Or could she even be the mutant? Why did Ryan fake the records? If Ryan isn't his name… then just how is he? Is he really our friend?_

* * *

_I swear if I'm gonna explode,_ Gear thought as she rubbed her temples. She took a sip of the beer. _Screw it, screw being sober._ Currently, she was frustrated with herself. During her system clean-up, SHIELD managed to sneak in through that hole and find out that Ryan Branson wasn't Ryan Branson. However, she managed to catch it before they found anything else. Still, it could complicate things.

Not to mention Vlad, he was up to something as well. Her gut feeling wasn't a good feeling. It told her that she should warn Danielle, but the problem was- she couldn't get a hold of Danielle. Gear knew all about Danielle and unlike Danny, she didn't think it was right for Danielle to be traveling the world on her own. So Dani didn't. Gear made sure to keep close tabs on the kid and make sure that she always had some place to stay- of course, Gear had to pull more than a few strings and call in a lot of favors. So, Gear gave Danielle housing and protection, in exchange Danielle had to make sure to give monthly updates. Over the course of time, the two became like sisters and since Jazz was gone, Danielle was the only sister Gear had left… And she was determined to protect her.

The only issue- Danielle still hadn't called in her monthly update for the past two months. Gear's been so preoccupied with Vlad, Ryan, and things that it was hard for her to think about Danielle for too long.

She took another gulp of the beer. _If anything's happened to that kid, it's my fault._

* * *

"Where's Gear," Danny finally asked.

"She's just being Gear," Ryan shrugged, "She didn't want to come to school today."

"Why," Ava asked.

"She… Honestly, she's just stressed out."

"But her grades," Peter pointed out, "Isn't she worried about missing a test or something?"

"She's Gear," Ryan said simply, "She doesn't fail tests, she aces them, regardless if she's studied or not… She's really smart."

Ryan shrugged as he headed to get a drink. Peter looked over to the other side of the cafeteria as Ryan looked at the coke machine frustrated.

_If we can even call him Ryan. This is driving me nuts,_ Peter thought irritated, _I don't know if I can trust the guy or not. I want to, but he might be mutant… If he's a mutant, that's cool and maybe he become part of the team, but why did he fake his records and his name? Did something bad happen? Well, he might be on the run from something too, especially if he did have powers- the question is what?_

"I'm just gonna ask him," Peter finally decided.

"No," Ava protested, "You can't do that! We don't know if he's a bad guy!"

"Ava, he's not a bad guy, we've known for a while now," Peter pointed out, "Even if he did have powers, then it would explain the fake records. He might be on the run from someone bad. He might have wanted to get a fresh start too, if someone had found out."

"If he has powers," Ava continued, "If he doesn't, then why would he fake the records?"

"People do it a lot more often than you think," Peter shrugged, a bit thankful that MJ and Harry weren't at school.

"Gear would've been able to have done it," Danny mused, "she's perfectly capable of it and more."

In the end, he couldn't ask Ryan about the fake records. He didn't get the chance as Ryan was headed back to the table, Peter's watch beeped. A second later, Ryan came to the table, only to find that everyone was in a rush to leave.

"Sorry, Ryan," Peter said, "Aunt May just called. She's not feeling well. We gotta run!"

Before Ryan could reply, a small blue wisp escaped his mouth.

"That's alright," Ryan smiled, "Just tell her I said to get better!"

As they left, Ryan let out a sigh of relief that they were gone. He headed to the nearest bathroom to transform into Phantom. He wasn't a hero- far from it… But there was a ghost somewhere and he needed to figure out who it was. Not because he was a hero, oh no, he just needed to blow off steam…


	11. To Be A Hero

**Author Note: In case you didn't notice, the cover has been updated to include the mask. I figured that he would need a mask because Spiderman is really Peter and Peter is practically his new best friend so Peter would recognize him. **

**~CWA**

**Chapter 10-To Be A Hero Again:**

**Third Person:**

"Hang on," Gear said as she ran up to Phantom. Phantom was currently floating about a foot off the ground just behind the school.

"Gear? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be working… or something?"

"I saw you on the security camsss dude," Gear explained with a slight slur, "Here!"

Gear wasn't exactly very happy that she had to run to the school while she was still a bit hung over from the beers she had earlier. She shoved a black mask in his hands. He hesitantly put it on. It was pretty simple and reminded him of The Legend of Zorro from the way it didn't have anything to cover his actual eyes. It was black and went right around his eyes like an outline.

"A mask," Phantom asked.

"Yesss," Gear said, a slight slur in her voice, "For you."

"…Gear are you drunk?"

"I- No," she shook her head, "Just… woah… dizzy… OH! And here!"

She quickly put a black belt with pouches around his waist. Attached to the side of the belt was the thermos.

"Now go kick assss…"

With that, she pressed a button on her metallic arm brace, signaling for her hover-board. The board was there in a second and she stepped on.

"You shouldn't be riding that if you're drunk," Phantom called out.

"No worriesss dude," Gear called back "Autopilot!… Whoa, dizzy…."

* * *

"Woah-hold up," White Tiger said, "Are you sure Coulson said it was a ghost?"

"Well, no," Spiderman admitted, "But he said that people were calling it a ghost."

White Tiger rolled her eyes.

"Besides," Spidey said, "I thought it would be cool to see a ghost- if they were real."

"Of course they're not real, webhead," Nova scoffed.

Before the team could argue any more, they were outside the school and headed to the nearby building where the sighting was. People were running in the streets, shouting and screaming.

"Spread out, we gotta find out what's causing this," Power Man ordered.

Spiderman tensed as his spider sense went off. It felt slightly different though, like what it felt like when Vlad had entered the room.

"Uh, I'm no genius," Nova said, "But I'm pretty sure it's him that's causing all this."

Nova pointed and they turned to look. Sure enough, up in the sky was a metallic figure. When it landed, it appeared to be a male covered in armor, or some type of android, with flaming green hair.

"I am Skulker," he announced, "Where is the whelp?"

"The whelp," Spidey muttered, "Sorry, but you only have us!"

Spiderman shot web at Skulker, who merely laughed and changed intangible.

"You think you can defeat me! Skulker! Mere humans!"

All at once, they sent their attacks. Iron Fist tried to hit Skulker, as did the rest of them. Nova shot at him. White Tiger slashed at him. Yet, nothing was working.

"Why isn't this working," Spidey shouted, frustrated.

"I'm a ghost, fools," Skulker laughed, "I am Skulker! The Ghost Zone's greatest hunter!"

"More like worst hunter," a voice shouted.

A second later, they watched as a new figure entered the scene. He was about their age with slightly tanned skin and white hair. Despite the black mask, his bright glowing green eyes were still visible. He didn't wear a typical spandex suit like the rest of them. Instead, he wore white jeans, white fingerless gloves, combat boots, a black shirt, and a black slick jacket.

"Whelp," Skulker growled.

"Actually, it's Phantom, but we both know how you love your nicknames," Phantom smirked.

He gave a brief nod to Spiderman and the others as a greeting before he turned to Skulker. His hands balled into fists as they lit up, ready to fire an ecto-blast. Phantom shot a few at Skulker, hitting the target in the chest.

"Dude," Nova whistled, "We couldn't even touch him."

"Of course you couldn't," Phantom said as he fought, "He's a ghost."

"Ghosts don't exist," White Tiger pointed out.

Phantom turned to say something, but Skulker knocked him in the back. Phantom went flying and landed on the ground beside White Tiger. Skulker floated above them all, high in the air.

"Really," Phantom said, "Then what am I?"

"You're not a ghost," Nova scoffed, "We can see you, duh."

"You sure about that," Phantom smirked.

He turned invisible and Nova screamed. Phantom reappeared behind Skulker, laughing as he shot an ecto-blast.

"You cannot defeat me whelp," Skulker screamed.

"Funny, 'cause I think I just did," Phantom smirked as he grabbed the thermos attached to the belt.

"What are you gonna do," Nova shouted, "Throw soup at him!"

"Tempting, but no!"

He uncapped the thermos and sucked Skulker into it. Then, he landed beside the team with a sheepish, but guarded, expression. Spiderman patted him on the back,

"That was awesome dude! Are you really a ghost," Spidey started to babble, "You could join the team! You would make a good hero, what was your name again?"

He was practically jumping up and down in excitement at the ghost. Phantom backed away slightly,

"It's Phantom and I'm not a hero," he denied, "So thanks, but no thanks."

With that, he flew high into the air, disappearing.

* * *

Gear groaned as she plopped down on her bed. She just finished getting some meds that would help with her aching head. She wasn't necessarily hung over, but she wasn't entirely sober either. _It used to take a lot more than two beers and a shot of tequila to get me drunk,_ she thought sourly, _and not to mention Double D, damn it. He's the reason I had to actually get up from my sleep…._

Granted, she shouldn't have drunk anything in the first place and she defiantly shouldn't have bought that bottle of tequila. She should be working, she just couldn't. She was still a bit too stressed, but thankfully for Ryan, she was sober enough to know what was going on and how to react. Though, she reacted a bit slower than usual.

As soon as Ryan walked through the door, she was up and sober.

"How did it go," she asked as she rubbed her head.

"Fine," Ryan said briskly, "It went just fine."

"…So not fine?"

"No," Ryan sighed, "I just… It went okay, I just… I missed the fighting, the action, but I can't be a hero again after what happened, ya know? And I just… It kind of hurts that Spiderman and the others can just be heroes and not have to worry about that."

"Who says they don't," Gear said cryptically, "Everyone is facing a battle, dude. Each and every one of those heroes has an identity that must be kept secret. Did they go through what you went through? Probably not, but I guarantee you that most of them have lost someone close to them. I know it's not the same, but all I'm saying is…"

She whispered in his ear,

"Give them a chance."

With that, she disappeared into the lab, leaving Ryan alone with his thoughts.

* * *

When the team returned to the helicarrier, they still weren't sure what to make of Phantom. Was he a hero? Can he become a hero? He certainly had the potential to be one. However, as soon as they sat down at the table to discuss Phantom, Coulson walked in and crushed their ideas of Phantom being a hero.

"We looked him up," Coulson said as he crossed his arms, "And normally, we would keep this to ourselves, but you deserve to know."

"What," Spidey asked, "What did you find?"

"Phantom's a menace. He's evil. There are news stories about how he lived in Amity Park. He's stolen goods- a lot of them. He even was said to have kidnapped the previous mayor of the town."

"Wait," Spidey asked, "What about the whole ghost thing?"

"That's the only thing that's true," Coulson informed them.

"What," White Tiger screeched, "You can't be serious."

"Ghosts don't exist," Power Man added.

"Creepy," Nova muttered.

"It's possible," Iron Fist pointed out, "We all have a spirit within us. It's possible for the spirit to linger after the death of the body."

"I don't know about that," Coulson said, "But I do know that these particular ghosts used to haunt Amity Park along with Phantom. It took a lot of digging, and unlocking a lot of things that were blocked by the GiW, but we managed to find that much out. He is really a ghost. Apparently, all the ghosts flock there since there was a portal."

"A portal," Spidey asked interested.

"GiW," White Tiger asked.

"The GiW were government ghost hunters, but they're a danger to civilizations. They just got shut down yesterday. And yes, a portal."

Coulson crossed his arms,

"There was a family of ghost hunters that lived there, the Fentons. The parents were the world's leading ghost experts- they knew their stuff. They had two kids named Daniel and Jasmine."

Iron Fist raised an eyebrow, but made no comment as Coulson continued,

"According to our records, they did build a working ghost portal a few years ago. It was through that portal that ghosts started to show up- including Phantom… It was only a few months ago that the house caught fire, shortly after none other than Phantom kidnapped their son, Daniel. The fire killed the parents and the eldest daughter along with two local teens- Samantha Manson and Tucker Foley- who were visiting at the time. Daniel Jack Fenton was declared dead shortly after their deaths."

The team looked down in sorrow. It was hard to believe that the guy that they had met- Phantom- was as bad as Coulson was making him out to believe.

"What are his powers," Spiderman finally asked, "Just how powerful is he?"

"Thankfully, he hasn't attacked New York City just yet. You kids aren't ready to go fact to face with him… According to the GiW, he's a level S ghost."

Seeing the blank look in their eyes, Coulson sighed,

"Imagine if the Hulk was a ghost, could control his strength, and was twice as powerful and you're just scraping the surface of a level S ghost."

With that said, Spiderman gulped. _Man I'm glad we're not fighting him._

"Powerful indeed," Iron Fist mused.

"So, what exactly can he do," Power Man asked.

"We're not sure, the files didn't say."

* * *

Gear frowned to herself as she looked at the screen. She should've been trying to figure out what Vlad was up to, but she knew that Vlad wasn't going to do it soon- not until after his conference.

_So, SHIELD is telling Peter and them that he's a villain? I guess even they couldn't see the truth- not surprising really, but Peter has to know that Phantom is a hero. I need my plan to work._

Her plan was rather simple- get Phantom to join Spiderman's team. She could tell that Ryan _needed_ to be a hero again. He might not see it, but he did need it. Being a hero would give him the opportunity to be truly happy again- to have purpose.

With that in mind, she ransacked her closet for her cloak. It was more fashionable than it was practicable so she didn't wear it too often. It would, however, get the job done to conceal her so that Peter wouldn't recognize her. Tonight, the shadows would be her friend.

She grabbed a few last things before she left- a small earpiece with a microphone that would conceal her voice and her hover board. She was just glad that Ryan was fast asleep. She took a quick shot of tequila so she would be more comfortable with her plan and then she headed out.

* * *

Spiderman sat perched on a tall building. He didn't feel like going home to Aunt May just yet. Besides, with the team living there it was getting a bit crowded for him. He needed his own space so that he could clear his head.

He was thinking about a lot…_ Can Phantom just be misunderstood? It's really hard to believe that he's a villain… Then there's Vlad- Ryan and Gear said he's bad news, but just what could he be up to if he really is evil? And then Ryan, himself… He's lying to us about who he really is- so is he still my best friend? Well, not best friend since that position belongs to Harry, but still a close friend…_

Just as he was about to head back home, he heard a high-pitched voice; it was almost like _Alvin the Chipmunk._

"Don't fear Phantom."

He turned to see who spoke, but since he was startled, he ended up tripping and falling on his butt. _My spidey sense didn't go off so I guess they're not a threat…_They were hidden in the shadows too well for him to get a good look, but he could still see the dark purple cloak and he could see that the hood was up so even if the figure wasn't in the shadows, he wouldn't be able to see their face. Spidey laughed,

"Uh, dude it's hard to take you seriously with that voice!"

"My voice," the figure said with shock, "Ah shittles! I- ehem, I mean… Phantom is not your enemy."

"He's a villain."

"He's misunderstood, you should relate to him since you both get unfair, bad press… Most of the stories of him were made up simply because people fear what they do not understand, much like your own case with that news reporter."

"But he stole things! He kidnapped the mayor! And that Fenton kid!"

"No he did not," the figure snapped, "Listen to me, Spiderman, Phantom is a hero… At least, he was. He's was framed for the kidnappings and he was being mind controlled by a villain named Freakshow to steal… But Phantom is a hero. He's saved the world multiple times, only for no one to really know and the people that do- they spit in his face. He's been through a lot… You have no reason to trust me, but all I ask is that you consider my words, please…"

"If he's a hero, why did he say that he wasn't?"

"Be he isn't anymore," the figure said, the high-pitch voice sounding saddened, "Something very bad happened. It made him believe that being a hero isn't worth it. He's not a villain, but he's not a hero. He's just a ghost teen with powers and nothing to do with them… He's like a little brother to me, so I only wish him the best and the best for him… Would be if he was on your team. It's only a thought and I do hope you think about it."

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"You can't trust me," the figure said honestly, "But you can trust Phantom."

With that, the figure turned away, leaving Spiderman a lot to think about.


	12. Hidden

**Author Note:**

**Next chapter not only will have Vlad, but it will also be the longest chapter of this story so far...**

**To goodgirl275- Sorry that you think of Gear as a Mary-Sue, she's not supposed to be… Hmmm… I guess it's difficult to develop her character when I don't know everything about her myself (by the that I mean there are a few gaps in her own story that I have yet to fill). I am trying my best to 'flesh her out' and she's not perfect. She's smart, yes, and very much so, but she has her own problems too. I mean, she's very smart, but she does make mistakes. I know she comes across as a sort of bubbly, perfect character at times, but she's not. She's just not good with showing negative emotions so she hides herself behind a beer bottle or a project- like a security blanket. I hope that helps you understand her more and I hope that made sense. **

**Hopefully, my next DP fic (which will be out as soon as I finish this one- hopefully) will help you understand Gear more- if you read it that is. **

**~CWA**

**Chapter 11- Hidden:**

**Third Person:**

"Guys," Peter said as he walked into the house, "You wouldn't believe what just happened."

Peter shook his head slightly. It was still a bit weird for even him to think about. Should they trust Phantom? Was Phantom really a hero?

"We know," Danny said.

Peter looked at them shocked,

"Wait, you know?"

"You butt dialed Sam," Ava explained, "We heard everything."

"So… What do you think? Should we trust Phantom?"

The group shared a look as they thought- Can we trust Phantom? He did take care of that ghost, but Coulson said he was a villain…

"I believe that the figure might have said the truth," Danny mused, "It would make sense…"

"I hate to say it, but he's right," Ava shrugged, "Phantom didn't seem the villain type."

"Right," Peter agreed, "But… this is all kind of weird, don't you think? A figure in the shadows and all that? And I hate to say it, but there was something familiar about that figure and Phantom, for that matter."

"Dude," Sam said, "Our lives get a lot weirder than that."

"Touché."

The group headed to the kitchen, thankful that Aunt May was already asleep after having been told that Peter was just out getting milk.

"So what's our plan," Peter asked, "I mean, if Phantom really was a hero and stuff, shouldn't we try to contact him? Ask him to be on the team? Or at least talk to him, get the story and everything?"

"He is a ghost, Peter," Ava reminded him, "And he doesn't really seem like the type of guy you just find."

"He truly is a ghost, disappearing when needed," Danny pointed out, " He's hidden."

"We still have to try," Peter said determined.

* * *

Ryan woke up the next morning with a raging headache. He was a bit surprised when he saw Gear in the living room dressed in only her underwear and over-sized shirt, looking frustrated, as she typed away on the keyboard on her metallic bracelet. In front of her were seemingly random pieces of tech.

"Uhh, you okay," Ryan asked.

"No," Gear growled, "I'm stressed."

"I thought you drank?"

"I'm out," she said as she pointed to the beers in the trash, "Ran out last night… Did things I'm not exactly proud of."

It was true. When she had gotten back from her 'meeting' with Spiderman, she did drink the last beers, two more shots of tequila, and ended up doing a few 'not so good' things.

"….What did you do," Ryan finally asked cautiously.

"Hehe, wouldn't you like to know," Gear smirked, "But making things helps me, so I'm making things."

"Well, get dressed, we have school."

"Do I have too," Gear whined.

"You've barely been there! So yes!"

"Damn," Gear muttered, "Why don't you just become a hero?"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Gear said as her last nerve snapped, "I will support you with whatever you do, dude. That's what a sister does, but I want the best for you too. The best thing for you to do is to be a hero again."

"I was a hero once," Ryan said as his face started to turn red with anger, "And you saw where they got me!"

"That doesn't mean it'll repeat itself!"

* * *

At school, Ryan was on edge. He was concerned about whether or not Spiderman might show up- as he has before- and recognize him. His paranoia was getting so bad that he was starting to jump at every single noise- every locker slam, every shout, every time someone spoke.

Gear, to Ryan's dismay, knew that he was paranoid. As a result, she spent most of the day bugging the crap out of him. She snuck up behind him in the hallway and whistled loudly in his ear. Ryan jumped and almost screamed. He turned around to see her. She gave a large cheeky grin and Ryan glared.

"…Am I missing something," Peter asked.

"She's bored," Ryan explained, "She's bored and hung over."

"And you're being a paranoid dude," Gear pointed out, "So I'm gonna bug you."

The two glared at each other- the tension rising between them. Gear was a bit pissed since Ryan wouldn't give being a hero another shot and Ryan was pissed since she would keep bringing it up. It caused a lot of tension.

"Hung over," Danny muttered with a small frown.

Gear looked away from Ryan with a wince,

"Yeah," she answered, "I did drink… a bit…"

She bit her lip slightly.

"I didn't know you drank," Ava said, "You do know that it's illegal to do so when you're underage?"

"I know that very well, but I also know that my drinking habit is what led me to aromatherapy and acupuncture- as others ways to release stress."

Danny was still frowning, as were the rest of them. None of them liked the idea of Gear drinking- it wasn't nice. In fact, they didn't like the idea of drinking at all. Danny, however, hated the idea most of all.

"Perhaps you should try different incenses combined with meditation," Danny finally suggested.

Ryan stood by with his arms crossed, a bit happy that the attention was directed away from himself, but also not very happy with himself since he didn't mean to tell him that Gear drank.

"I… I can't concentrate long enough to meditate," Gear finally admitted, "I have a bad case of ADHD and ADD… I have a hard enough time with school work, even if I already know the material."

Danny smiled softly,

"Perhaps I can teach you ways to meditate. I'm sure it will help with patience and peace, along with your drinking habit."

With that, the two walked away from the rest of the group, getting into their own deep conversation.

"And what about you," Peter finally asked, "Why are you paranoid?"

"Rough night," Ryan answered vaguely.

* * *

During lunch, neither Danny nor Gear was anywhere to be seen. At least Ryan had informed Peter and the others that he was going to go home for the rest of the day since he didn't feel well. That was good news since they wanted to talk about Phantom- yet Danny wasn't there for the discussion. So the real question was- where was Danny?

Danny sat down in the courtyard with Gear under the tree. Their lunches were untouched nearby and they didn't really mind- neither of them had much of an appetite. Well, that was a lie. Gear had a large appetite, but Danny was teaching her patience. The two of them sat in the Lotus position, trying to find an inner peace.

"I must admit, I'm surprised to learn that you drank," Danny finally said.

"Most people are," Gear said calmly.

"What got into such a habit?"

Danny had to admit that he was curious, but that wasn't why he asked. He noticed that Gear mostly kept to herself, even with Ryan. She didn't have anyone to open up to. He would be honored to be the person entrusted by her with her thoughts and secrets. Most of all, he wished to be a friend to her- perhaps one day, something more.

"It's because of my mind," Gear said simply, "With an IQ over 200, my mind is always thinking, it's always in overdrive. It's one of the reasons that I have ADD and ADHD since I have trouble concentrating on things."

She took a few deep breaths as Danny taught her and she calmed down.

"What about your parents," Danny asked, "I believe that they are deceased, correct?"

It was at those words that Gear nearly burst into tears,

"I can't talk about that… Not now… I just… Danny, there's so much that you don't understand about me."

"Perhaps, you should give me a chance to learn more about you then."

The two stared at each before finally, Gear gave a smile,

"Okay, you wanna know more about me? Well, I have a habit of playing pranks. I love tech more than I do people sometimes. I don't like cats and I have a fear of cockroaches and failing. I love food. I'm blunt. The death of my parents tore me up and I got even more torn up when my best friend died. My favorite color's purple. I like techno music and silly songs like the ones by Weird Al. I don't believe in love."

Danny raised an eyebrow at that. He wasn't sure that it was possible for someone not to believe in love, as if reading his mind, Gear continued,

"Though I do believe in attraction, liking someone and all- I just don't really believe in loving someone. Maybe that will change when I meet the right person… And I'm babbling aren't I?"

Gear laughed,

"So… I'm a pansexual. My favorite food would have to be anything that's edible. My favorite movie… That's hard, actually. I love comedies and kids movies so my favorite movies include ones like_ Last Holiday, Ride Along, Chicken Run_ and _Frozen._ Besides all that, not much to tell."

Danny smiled. To most, the things she said was small, but she opened herself up and that was what mattered. He learned more about her- everything she said was things that he didn't know… Well he knew that she liked pranks- that was obvious from the way she messed with Ryan.

Gear took a few more deep breaths.

"Interesting," Danny said, "You said you liked food, yet you haven't glanced at the lunch. My friend, I believed you just focused on your meditating."

"Does this mean that I passed," Gear said with hopeful eyes, "I didn't screw it up? I actually learned to meditate and learn patience?"

"The patience will take time," Danny said amused, "But yes, you have learned meditation."

"Sweet baby cakes," Gear cheered as she took him by surprise with a large hug, "Does this mean that we can eat now?"

"Yes," Danny said with a slight laugh.

* * *

It wasn't until after school that Ryan saw Gear again. By now, he was calmer and he had a clear head. More than that, he was ready to apologize to her since he thought that she might still be mad. Yet, when she came in, she wore a goofy smile on her face and she seemed a lot calmer.

"Are you okay," Ryan asked.

"Dandy," Gear said with a smile, "I'm… calm. My mind's still on over-drive, yet I can block it out… Meditation is an amazing thing."

"Oh," Ryan said with a smirk, "are you sure you don't mean that Danny's an amazing thing? Err... _Guy?"_

"W-what," Gear said with a slight blush, "Sh-shut up!"

With that, Gear retreated back to her room, leaving a laughing Ryan behind her. As soon as she was in her room, she got to work on finding out about what Peter and the team was saying about Phantom- which was simple with the small bug that she planted on Danny.

Ryan shook his head as began to play a few video games as in attempt to clear his head. It was interrupted when Gear walked into the room, being sure to stand in front of the screen.

"H-Hey, get out of the way! I can't see!"

Without speaking a single word, she snatched the controller out of his hands and paused his game.

"There, game's paused. Now get your ass out there as Phantom and tell the team you're a hero."

"What?"

"You heard me."

"No, I didn't because there was no way I heard that right."

"Well, you did," Gear crossed her arms, "Look, I know you don't want to be a hero again. But while you don't want it, you need it. That spark and passion in your eyes is almost dead… And I do support you with whatever you choose and everything, but all I ask is for you to hear their offer and give them a trail run."

"What if I say no to you? What if I don't want to listen to them?"

"Then every single embarrassing video of you I have will go viral and I'll make sure it's personally all over school."

Ryan gulped,

"Understood."

* * *

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you wanted us to find you," Spiderman said as he walked up behind Phantom.

Spiderman and the team, along with Phantom, were standing on the roof of a building. Phantom turned with a smirk,

"That's because I did want you to find me… I figured I should at least hear you guys out."

He crossed his arms and didn't look too happy about the idea. Spiderman grinned,

"I knew we'd get through to you!"

"What," Phantom said confused, "Look, I'm just here because my friend threatened me to do so."

"Does your friend where a dark purple cloak," Spidey asked curiously.

"I think she owns one," Phantom mused, "But I haven't seen her wear it…"

Phantom started to think for a moment, honestly confused about why Spiderman asked that and about whether or not Gear did own that dark purple cloak_. No, I'm pretty sure she has one. _She wore it last Halloween when she was dressed as Clockwork to annoy him…

Spiderman and the rest of the team shared a look- the hooded figure that Spiderman had met was indeed a friend of Phantom's, a female friend.

"Well, I'm glad she spoke to you," Spiderman finally said, "Because now we can talk… How would you like to join the team? We can clear your name. You can be a hero again and SHIELD gives out some cool gadgets."

"I already have cool gadgets," Phantom replied dryly, "I don't really care about my name anymore and I don't want to be a hero again."

"You said you would hear us out," White Tiger said as she crossed her arms.

"And I did, I never said that it would be a yes. So, I heard you, but no thanks."

"Well why not," Spiderman finally shouted, "Why can't you be a hero?"

"Being a hero brings nothing but trouble," Phantom said.

His eyes were glowing green vividly, yet they held a dark presence.

"But when you're a hero, you fight trouble," Spiderman pointed out.

"That's not what I meant," Phantom said as he rubbed his temples, a headache already starting to form.

Spiderman was on his last nerve,

"Then why? Give us a solid reason why you won't do it and we'll leave you alone!"

"A SOLID REASON," Phantom roared as his last nerve snapped, "A solid reason?! I'll give you a solid reason, how about, oh I don't know- vivisection, betrayal and sorrow! Because being a hero brings those things! It always just brings those things!"

Phantom's body was glowing white slightly as anger flowed off of him. His reply left the team speechless, not sure how to react.

"You misunderstand," Iron Fist finally said, "Being a hero does bring it's own tragedy, but as a hero, you are a Phoenix. You rise from the ashes."

"I… I don't know if I can rise from all the ashes that I'm buried in," Phantom answered with a low, sorrowful voice before he flew away, disappearing from sight.


	13. Revelation

**Author Note: Over 4,000 words for this chapter! Don't worry, the story's not entirely over just yet- kind of sad though. Please review! And thank you for all the faves, follows, and reviews!  
~CWA**

**Chapter 12- Revelation:**

**Third Person:**

A whole month had gone by before the team realized that they might never get the chance to speak to Phantom again. They had seen him, plenty of times. They saw him when the ghosts attacked- Skulker had shown up again, as did a ghost by the name of Box Ghost. He always disappeared as soon as the team showed. They never got the chance to speak to him and he was always done and gone too quickly for any press of him to spread.

The press that did spread, however, was about Vladimir Masters and his upcoming conference in Times Square. He never explained about what it was about, but considering that ever since diner that one day, no one on the team (or Ryan or even Gear for that matter) had heard anything from Vlad, they were all curious and worried about what he was up to. Why show up in New York, practically disappear, and then show up again a month later for a 'special' conference? It was a warning- Gear and Ryan knew Vlad. He showed up early to settle fear, worry, and paranoia in their hearts- he succeeded with Ryan. He would have succeeded with Gear if not for Danny teaching her meditation tricks.

The only good thing to come out of the month was that Danny and Gear had a chance to get closer as friends. It was a special thing for Gear since she never had a chance to open up to anyone- not fully. Which led them to have their first date at a nearby restaurant. Gear was a bit mad that Ryan managed to get her into a dress, but she had to admit that she looked nice. It was a black dress with a v-neck that hugged her figure and a dazzled belt just at the waist. It reached a bit above mid-thigh, but with her long legs it was bound to happen. Ava bugged Gear to do her hair and makeup so not only was Gear stuck in a dress- but also she was stuck with her purple hair being slightly curled, black eyeliner, and simple eye shadow.

"You look lovely," Danny complimented her as sat down at a table.

"Thank you," Gear smiled, "But it's not something that I would usually wear."

After a few minutes of silence, Gear spoke up,

"I just realized that while I told you about myself, you didn't return the favor… So tell me, what makes Danny Rand, Danny Rand."

Danny looked at her amused,

"I suppose that it is only fair after all, but I'm afraid that there's not much to tell."

"No secrets," Gear teased, only being slightly serious.

"Secrets," Danny quirked an eyebrow and she smiled,

"I'm only kidding, granted we do all have our secrets, don't we?"

"Even you?"

"Even me," Gear smiled, "Though I tend to have a lot more…"

Before he could reply, the waitress walked up with a smile,

"Good evening, may I take your orders?"

"Yes," Danny smiled, "I'll have just an order of the Alfredo pasta with water and…"

He looked to Gear, who smiled,

"I'll have the same," Gear said.

The waitress wrote it down and after a quick 'have a nice evening,' disappeared into through the kitchen doors. Danny couldn't help but look at Gear. _She has secrets as well, it's natural, but what makes her say that she has more than the average person?_

It wasn't until a minute later that another waitress came over with a bottle of wine.

"We didn't order any wine," Gear protested, resisting the urge to fawn over the wine that happened to be one of her favorite types of wine.

"Compliments from the man at the other table, he always wished for me to give you this," the waitress handed her a small piece of paper.

Gear frowned as she read the expertly written Latin,

_I know you're plan for my conference and it won't work. I hope you're having a nice date- it won't last long._

Both Danny and Gear looked beyond the waitress to see Vladimir Masters at the table, sipping at wine. He raised the glass for a cheer, gulped it down, and then left the place. The whole gesture left Gear with an uneasy feeling her stomach.

* * *

Peter, Luke, Sam, Ava, Danny, Ryan, and Gear all gathered around the TV at Ryan and Gear's house to watch the conference. Not a single one of them dared to see the conference in person- mostly because Gear felt that if she or Ryan went in person that they may just hurt Vlad. Peter and the others felt the same way after seeing how uneasy Vlad made Ryan and Gear so they were stuck at the house as well. Besides, Danny wanted to stay with his new girlfriend and the others wanted to be supportive- and they wanted the chance to tease them mercilessly.

Gear looked almost eager for the conference as she sat beside Danny with a happy-go-lucky grin.

"Why are you in such a good mood," Ryan asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh," Sam said, "I know! I know! It's cause she is with her boyfriend~."

Gear would've smacked him on the head if she was close enough to him, but alas she wasn't. Thankfully, Ava was as she smacked Sam for Gear. Ryan, Peter, Gear, and Danny all sat on the couch as Sam, Luke, and Ava sat in separate chairs.

It didn't take long for Vlad appeared on the screen, waving at the cameras,

"Thank you, thank you," he said, "Now, I know why you're all wondering why I should plan such a conference, and I'm happy to say that I have a big announcement to make. Not only is Masters Industries setting up another station right here in New York…"

He paused as everyone applauded. Gear was frowning as she looked down at her bracelet, the video was supposed to play. _He really knew my plans. He actually fixed it…_ Then he continued,

"Now, now, I have some more news! I'm proud to announce that after so many years of being alone, that I have finally considered the option of adopting. Today, I'd like to introduce my new adopted daughter, Danielle Masters!"

Ryan, who was taking a drink at the time, crashed the glass of water in his hands. Gear gripped Danny's hand with her dear life.

"No," the two practically-siblings whispered, "Not her…"

* * *

When Peter and the others headed home, they weren't exactly happy. Ryan told them that he just lost his temper seeing Vlad on TV, but they knew it was something more than that- they just weren't sure what. The second they left, however, Gear and Ryan were in a conversation.

"I knew it," Gear muttered, "I knew there was a reason that Danielle wasn't answering me."

"You knew where she was," Ryan accused, "You know something was wrong?!"

"No," Gear defended herself, "I knew that something was up, but I couldn't figure out what."

"But what," Ryan demanded, "Why would Vlad go through all this trouble? Why would he tell everyone that Danielle is his adopted daughter?"

"Because he is," Gear typed away at the small keyboard on her metallic bracelet, "According to my records, he really did adopt her. Granted, he faked a lot of papers about her actually existing and everything, but legally, he is her father."

"Why?! And why her?!"

"My guess," Gear said, "He wants you as his son. The best way to do that is through threatening and this is the best form of threatening."

"What do you mean?"

"Ten to one, he's gonna contact you. He's gonna say that he wants you to join him and if you don't, he'll do bad things to Danielle or that you'll never see her again. He knows that now, especially after that conference, you can't take her away. You can't kidnap her, he'll blame you as Ryan Branson responsible for kidnapping, or Phantom. He'll get you arrested- turn you into a fugitive. With Danielle legally under his care, we can't touch her. We can't get her back, legally. If we do it illegally, it's not going to be pretty. Get the picture?"

"Yeah," Ryan answered softly, "but the question is, what do we do now?"

"That's the million dollar question," Gear muttered, "Tell ya what… I think I have a plan."

"Okay, what is it?"

"Talk to Vlad."

"…I'm not getting this plan."

Gear sighed,

"Go to where's Vlad at, as Ryan- that's important. Make sure you're privately, but still in a public enough place. Just talk to him, if you're just talking, he can't do anything or accuse you have anything without the public noticing and that can bring up a big mess for him. If he does, however, do any of the following such as accuse you of threatening him, of you being unstable, etc… Then I want you to pretend that you're a total wuss."

"I'm sorry, I'm still not getting this plan," Ryan said as he continued to stare at her in disbelief.

"What I mean is, act like you don't know what he's accusing you of. Act like you were just a fan and that you wanted to ask him questions for a school project about the industries. That's why when you go there, have a notebook and a pen, maybe even a camera, got it? Make it believable. I'll be watching from security cams, so don't worry."

"And just what do I say to the fruitloop?"

"Tell him that if he doesn't legally sign Danielle over to the care of Gywn Gia, I say my name because my papers say that I'm eighteen even though I'm not- legally, he can't prove that I'm not an adult, that you will go the press and tell them that Vlad separated you and your little sister, that would be Danielle. It will be enough of a legal mess to gain us time, and since she's your clone, your DNA will be similar enough to pass as siblings. Tell him that if you don't get Danielle back, that he'll face the wrath of _Quam Tu."_

Gear's eyes turned dark and grim. Ryan gulped slightly, but nodded.

* * *

Peter and the rest of the group were still confused about the events of the day as they walked down the street at night. There was no crimes- there wasn't any activity. They actually had a free night and they weren't sure what to do with it. As a result, they decided to check out Vlad Masters- undercover and discretely. As a result, they figured out that Vlad Masters was hosting a party at a nearby penthouse.

"So," Sam said, "How was your date with a certain little gadget?"

He nudged Danny, who blushed slightly,

"It was… enjoyable."

"So does that mean you guys are dating now," Ava asked.

"I'd like to believe so."

"Good job man," Sam raised his hand for a high five, "That's a total score!"

Danny chose to ignore the high five as they entered the penthouse. Each of them was dressed in appropriate formal clothes.

* * *

After the party, people cleared out rather quickly. It didn't take long before the team, the waiters, and Vlad were the only ones left. However, it wasn't until then that they noticed Ryan. Ryan was speaking with Vladimir Masters, a camera around his neck and a notebook and pen in his hand.

"Ryan," Peter called out.

Ryan looked at them startled. Vlad took that as a chance to sneak off and away.

"What are you doing here," Peter asked, "And what's with the get-up?"

"It's nothing," Ryan dismissed, "It's all fine…. Where did Vlad go?"

"I think he went towards the back, the private section," Ava answered.

Before anyone could say anything else, Ryan was off.

"Rude," Ava muttered.

"I don't know guys," Peter said, "This seems a bit off… I think we should follow him."

"Why?"

"Because we know Vlad's up to no good and Ryan's a friend. What if Vlad hurts him? What if Ryan decides to hurt Vlad? Come on!"

With that, they secretly followed Ryan as he found his way to Vlad. The two stood outside, far away from anyone else. By the time they got close enough to hear the conversation, it was clear that it wasn't a nice one.

"You didn't adopt her Vlad," Ryan screeched, "We both know that Danielle doesn't belong with you!"

"And what, dear boy, you think she belongs under your care? And why would you want her? She's worthless. She's nothing."

From their hiding place, the team tensed in anger- no one is worthless. They were starting to see why Ryan and Gear hated Vlad. Ryan clenched his fists,

"She's my little sister," Ryan growled, "And she's not worthless, you bastard."

His eyes almost seemed to glow green. Vlad merely laughed,

"Oh the scary eyes! I'm so scared…"

Ryan and Vlad continued to have a mere staring contest. Meanwhile the team was on edge.

"Are you friends of Danny's?"

The team turned to see the fourteen-year-old Danielle. It was only up close did Peter realize just how strikingly similar her and Ryan were. They both had the same raven hair and the bright blue eyes. Danielle wore red jeans and a blue hoodie. Her raven hair was in a ponytail with a simple red beanie over it. Hints of a bruise were on her cheek. She titled her head curiously at them.

Danny looked at his team confused,

"Do I know you?"

"Your name is Danny too," Danielle looked confused, "No, I mean Danny."

She pointed to Ryan,

"Danny," she repeated, "And I'm Dani- that's Danny with an 'I'. Are you his friends? Are you here to get me away from Vlad?"

Her eyes were wide and looked on the bridge of tears. Fear shined in the blue depths. The team was at a loss of words at what to say until they turned their attention back to Ryan and Vlad when a smacking sound was heard. Vlad was rubbing his face slightly- he was the one that got punched. Ryan stood by, growling, not noticing the team or even Danielle.

"Congrats, young Daniel," Vlad smirked, "You actually hit first. For that, I must congratulate you. I shouldn't be surprised really, with that nasty temper of yours."

Vlad smirked madly as he stood up to his full height, changing into Plasmius as he did so. Peter and the others backed away slightly, as did Danielle. She hated Vlad and she knew that he was more powerful than her.

"Plasmius," Ryan growled.

"Woah," Peter whispered, "We gotta call Coulson."

It was then that Ryan noticed them. His eyes showed surprise, but most all they showed concern.

"You guys got to get out of here," Ryan ordered, "And take Danielle with you!"

"It's Dani," Danielle said as she huffed, "And I can help!"

Vlad shot an ecto-blast between Ryan and the others- separating them farther. Ryan's eyes still glowed green as his hands did the same.

"It appears that Ryan does indeed have powers," Danny mused.

"Ryan," Danielle muttered confused, "This is all hurting my head."

Ryan growled as Vlad neared Danielle.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!"

He shot an ecto-blast at Vlad. Then he turned towards Peter and the others,

"I'm sorry," he whispered, "But… I'm going ghost…"

Two bright rings of light went up and down his body. His dark hair turned snow white, his eyes became bright green, and his clothes transformed as well. A slight white glow surrounded his body as he floated slightly off the ground.

Peter was a bit in shock,

"Ryan's Phantom…"

"No way," Sam whispered, "THAT WAS SO AWESOME!"

"JUST GET HER OUT OF HERE," Ryan ordered, "I MEAN IT!"

Danny was the one to pick up the petite little fourteen year old as he ran off, the others following suit. They had to get Danielle away from the fight, and then they had to change into costumes to go help Phantom… Or rather, Ryan, or Danny. Either way, they had to help their friend.

"I can help," Danielle protested.

"Just stay here," Peter ordered, "Danny, think you can watch her?"

Danny simply nodded, knowing that someone had to take the job. Peter nodded and with that, the others and Peter ran off. Peter looked to his watch,

"Coulson," he said.

"What's the problem this time?"

"We have a slight issue. Ryan does have powers- he's Phantom, but Phantom's a hero and we can explain! Right now, Vlad Masters is a mutant or ghost or something! He's a bad guy, Coulson! We need back-up, we're not sure how to deal with ghosts."

"You were with Vlad Masters and you didn't tell us? Vlad's on our watch list for a reason. We just couldn't prove anything. If he's a ghost, let Phantom handle it till we get there with a containment center- he'll be locked up for a long time…"

* * *

Spiderman shot webs at Vlad as he entered the scene, but Vlad easily dodged.

"Your mere webs can't stop me, boy."

"Maybe, but I can," Phantom growled.

Ecto-blast after ecto-blast was shot at Vlad. Vlad returned each one, causing Phantom to raise his arm as he created an ecto-shield.

"You can do that," Spiderman asked, "That's so cool…"

"Get Gear," Phantom growled, "She can help!"

"Oh dear Gywn," Vlad said, almost wistfully, "Yes, do call her dear boy."

A bit creeped out, Spiderman didn't have a snarky reply. He did, however, do as instructed.

"Iron Fist," Spidey said into the watch, "We need you to call Gear- she can help."

"Are you sure? I don't wish to put her into harm's way."

"She's a hero," Phantom argued as he dodged another hit, "Just get her over here!"

"Very well."

As the team fought side by side with Phantom, they realized just how much that they weren't prepared to fight Vlad- or even Phantom. Vlad was… sneaky. He split himself in four,

"There, now I can take you on one by one, not that it matters… You're all so hopeless."

Phantom growled as he took on the original Vlad- leaving the others to deal with the copies.

"Whoa," Spidey said as he dodged a blast.

* * *

Danny was quick to call Gear, even if he didn't really want to. He didn't want to put her in the line of fire- even if it was possible for her to have powers. There was a lot he was thinking about- _Does Gear have powers? Is that why Ryan… Phantom… wants her to come? I doubt that they're really siblings, so what is their relationship? Just what can Gear do to help? How is Ryan, Phantom when Phantom is a ghost?_ At least Gear's not a ghost- she did the breathing techniques.

"I can help," Danielle was still arguing, "I swear! I can!"

"Not while you are under my watch," Danny said sternly.

"But I can help," Danielle still repeated.

"Dani," a voice called out surprised.

Gear arrived on her hover board. Jumping off the hover board, the second she hit the ground, Danielle tackled her.

"Gear!"

"Hey, wassup Lil' D," Gear said as she took off Danielle's beanie to ruffle the girl's hair.

Danielle protested with a smile, putting the beanie back on place. Gear looked at her concerned,

"Dani, is that a bruise?"

Gear gently touched the side of Danielle's face and Danielle winced. Gear's lips turned into a thin frown as her eyes narrowed.

"Danielle," Gear said strictly as Danielle winced, "Did he do this to you? Did Vlad hurt you?"

"H-he did," Danielle finally admitted, a few tears in her eyes, "I- he beat me."

Her voice was soft. Gear wrapped Danielle into a large hug, comfortingly rubbing her back,

"Shh sweetheart," Gear said, using her motherly voice, "It's okay… You're okay… I swear to you that the bastard won't hurt you again."

"Promise?"

"Promise," Gear said with a small smile. Then she turned to Danny as Danielle escaped the hug,

"You just said that there was trouble, and the trouble I see is Lil' D."

"Hey," Danielle protested with a goody grin, "I'm not trouble."

"'Course you aren't," Gear said as she rolled her eyes, but the smile on her face showed that she was just being playful.

"Vladimir," Danny said simply, "he is the trouble. Ryan is fighting with him right now."

"So I take it that you know he's Phantom, then," Gear said, putting a hand on her hip.

"Indeed. We're not sure how he's Phantom, but we do know."

"Good, I'm glad- so you better tell him your secret soon too."

"What do you mean," Danny asked cautiously.

"You know what I mean," Gear said, "You being Iron Fist. Peter's Spiderman and so on… Dude, I know. I've known for a while, actually- hacked into SHIELD and all that."

"And you didn't tell," Danny eyes narrowed slightly.

"'Course not, it's your secret not mine so you should have a say in who knows and who doesn't. I'm not evil, dude," Gear shrugged, "I hacked into SHIELD, yeah, but I'm not gonna like sell the info or anything- at least not that information."

Not really explaining what she meant, she turned Danielle,

"And you. You must listen to me, alright?"

Danielle stood at rapt attention, taking in Gear's words. Danielle did look to Gear as a big sister, and therefore a role model- in a way, more of a role model than Phantom sometimes. Well, Phantom was her superhero role model- one to look towards for advice about what to do with her powers. Gear, however, was her normal, female role model- someone to look up to for just life in general and someone to get girl advice from.

"I know you want to help," Gear started as she knelt down to Danielle's level, "I get that- I really do. There's been a lot of times that I wanted to help and I couldn't. But you have to listen to me, okay?"

Gear took a deep breath,

"Phantom thinks of you like his little sister, you understand that? And as your older brother, it's his job to protect you and I know you don't think you need to be protected, but despite your protests, he's always gonna protect you… And you're the only family he has left, he doesn't want to lose you too, Lil' D. And you're like my lil' sister too. The point is, you're family to us and we don't want you to grow up so fast. We don't want you to get hurt, okay?"

Gear smiled softly as she put a hand on Danielle's shoulder. She leaned in to whisper,

"And I promise, if you stay here and let my boyfriend protect you until I get back, then I'll take you out for ice cream and you can have as much as you want… Plus I'll help you with your pranks on Double D. Deal?"

Danielle smiled,

"Deal."

The two fist-bumped before Gear turned to Danny,

"And you, protect the kid, alright? She's like my little sister and I'll explain when things are done."

"Understood."

She kissed his cheek,

"And be careful… Now time for me to kick some creepy, ectoplasmic ass."

Danielle, used to Gear's cursing, laughed.

* * *

When Gear arrived at the scene of the fight, Vlad was getting his ass kicked by Phantom. She was sure that it was because Phantom's anger was fueling him. It was obvious to her that Phantom wasn't tired of the fight as he continued to beat Vlad. Honestly, she was a bit concerned that he might beat Vlad to a pulp or worse. His eyes were glowing red slightly and it was then that a small tingle of fear of Phantom settled into Gear. She knew those evil eyes- and she hated them. It was the one thing that honestly made her scared for her life sometimes. _This needs to end and fast…_

The team was having trouble with the copies- it was only a matter of time before each member of the team would be down for the count.

Vlad had yet to notice her arrival and she used that to her advantage. She sneaked up behind the original Vlad and slid underneath him. She reached up with the belt in her hands, clicking it around his waist. He screamed as his copies disappeared.

"Plasmius Maximus, you bastard," Gear said, getting a bit caught up in the moment of slight victory.

"You will not defeat me," Vlad growled as he was forced to transform from Plasmius to Masters.

Phantom, still angry, growled and punched Vlad in the face. VLad cried out slightly and landed with a thud.

"I think we just did," Spidey laughed.

It was at that moment that a SHIELD helicarrier arrived. Coulson came down form a ladder,

"Vladimir Masters, it's time you answer for your crimes."


	14. The Finale

**Author Note: Thus the last official chapter.**

**~CWA**

**Chapter 13- The Finale:**

**Third Person:**

Phantom sat uncomfortably at the table in the helicarrier as the rest of the team were also sitting, but they were staring at him- waiting for an explanation. Coulson and Nick Fury stood by just waiting to hear as well. Yet, Phantom refused to explain anything until Gear got back from working with the agents on a containment center for Vlad. Danielle was at Peter's house, being watched over by Aunt May. Gear managed to convince the older woman that Danielle was their little sister, who had been staying with an aunt until now since she was still mourning over the death of her parents.

Phantom was uncomfortable for a number of reasons- the main being that he was on a helicarrier with SHIELD and his closest friends, who just so happened to be superheroes. _At least they told me…_

Finally, Gear walked in. She didn't hesitate to sit right down next to Danny, propping her elbows on the table and supporting her chin on her hands.

"So," Peter asked, "Wanna tell us now?"

"Okay," Phantom scratched at the back of his head, "My real name is Daniel Jack Fenton…"

"That family of ghost hunters in Amity," Danny mused, "they were your family…"

"Yeah," Phantom gulped, "they were. Gear told me that Coulson told you how Amity is the most haunted place and about the fire and… Yes, the Fentons were my parents and Jasmine was my older sister."

"And my best friend," Gear pitched in, "Since I'm not really his sister."

"Then what's your real name," Danny asked curiously.

"Gywn Gia," she answered simply before Phantom continued,

"Right… I'm not sure where to start… I'm not a mutant. I'm a halfa."

"Halfa," Ava muttered.

"It's half ghost, half human- not naturally, by the way. Vlad's one too- he got it when a prototype portal exploded in his face, the ectoplasm morphed his DNA like it did mine, the only difference is that mine is more… Gear, help me out."

They all turned to the purple-haired girl, who sighed,

"His DNA is more stable. Vlad was only shot in the face and while painful, it wasn't nearly as bad. Danny, err Phantom that is, got hit with electricity and ectoplasm at the same time, through his whole body. As a result, he's a halfa. His heart doesn't beat as much as it should. His normal temperature is only about sixty degrees and he hardly breathes."

"My powers," Phantom continued from where she left off, "include basic ghost abilities- that's invisibility, intangibility, which is the ability to go through things, ecto-blasts, ecto-rays, overshadowing, which is like possession, and flight. So far I can fly about 175 miles per hour. I also have ice powers, duplication up to two, but I'm working on it. And a few others abilities like my ghostly wail, which has flattened a whole mountain- that's something only one other ghost can do, by the way and he's locked up for good."

"So how did you get your powers," Ava asked, "I mean, you said that we were shot with ectoplasm and electricity, but how?"

Gear's eyes shined,

"Oh please dude! Let me do it!"

Phantom sighed,

"Fine."

Gear cheered. She cleared her throat and pressed a button on her metallic arm bracelet, playing the music that she had made around when she found out about Phantom's secret. The music filled their ears as she rapped (or at least attempted to),

_"Yo Danny Fenton, he was just fourteen,_

_When his parents built a very strange machine,_

_Designed to view a world unseen,_

_He's gonna catch them all 'cause he's Danny Phantom._

_When it didn't quite work,_

_His folks, they just quit,_

_So Danny took a look inside of it,_

_There was a great big flash,_

_Everything just changed,_

_His molecules got all rearranged,_

_He's a Phantom, phantom._

_When he first woke up,_

_He realized,_

_He had snow-white hair,_

_And glowing green eyes,_

_He could walk through walls,_

_Disappear and fly,_

_He's much more unique than the other guy!_

_It was then that he knew,_

_What he had to do,_

_He had to stop all the ghosts that were coming through._

_He's here to fight for me and you-"_

"-Gear," Phantom said, "You can stop."

"Dude," Gear whined slightly as she pressed the button to stop the music, "No fair there was still some more… So basically, when his parents built the Fenton Ghost Portal to the Ghost Zone, it didn't work at first, he went inside of it, pressed a button, and he got electrified with a lot of electricity along with ectoplasm that rearranged his DNA to part ghost."

"Which is why I can do this," Phantom explained as the two rings went around him.

When the rings disappeared, he was back to Ryan- the raven hair, the dark red shirt, and the bright blue eyes. He gave a sheepish smile.

"So what happened," Peter asked, "You were a hero."

"A hero," Fury raised an eyebrow.

"Oh that's right," Gear mumbled and then she turned to Fury, "I told Peter, but not you… The jewels stolen were from him being mind controlled, the mayor kidnapping was framed by a ghost that was possessing the mayor, and most of the other stories were made-up since the whole town hated him for being a ghost despite the fact that he saved their asses endless times."

"Gear," Phantom snapped and she shrugged,

"It's true."

"I mean," Peter said, "Why did you stop being a hero? I understand, the death of your parents."

"No you don't," Ryan snapped, "You don't understand! I'm part ghost! My parents are _ghost hunters!_ Do you know what they did when they found out? They didn't care I was their son! They locked me down in their lab! They electrocuted me! They vivisected me! My best friends were the ones that told them too! They betrayed me! They didn't even try to help me get out!"

Ryan was clutching his fists and his eyes were shut to stop any tears. Gear was nearby looking down in guilt.

"The worst part," Ryan whispered, "Jazz was locked up so tight in her room with all the bars and the locks… When the fire started, I was so weak. I was still injured from their experiments…. I tried to get her out… I tried… And I couldn't… I couldn't get the door open in time… She was screaming… Oh god, was she screaming… And the screaming just… stopped…"

"That's why I'm not a hero anymore," Ryan looked up sternly with tears still in his eyes.

By now, the team was looking at him in horror; their own tears bristled at the corners of their eyes. Danny had an arm around Gear as she was sniffling and she buried her face into his chest. Nick Fury was looking at Ryan with such pity that it was almost out of character for him meanwhile Coulson was the same.

"Being a hero," Ryan whispered, "I tried to be a hero and my parents still hated me enough that they almost killed me- again…"

"You have us now," Peter finally said, looking at Ryan, "You have us now and your past is the past so while you can't change it, you can move on and become stronger… And I hope you'll let us help you with that."

Ryan looked at Peter shocked before finally, he smiled.

"Thanks… Speaking of bad pasts, Gear anything you want to add?"

Ryan gave her a wicked grin and she glared at him. Everyone looked at her, waiting to her own little 'back story.'

"I'm not doing it," she warned.

Ryan, expecting this, leaned towards her and whispered,

"I still have that video from when you were so drunk you acted like a stripper."

"Fine," Gear grumbled as she sighed. Danny's arm was still wrapped around her and she bit her lip,

"You forced my hand, Double D… Okay, so… I really am seventeen; my name really is Gywn Gia. My parents died when I was thirteen and I have an IQ over 200 with a flare and talent for technology. Jazz was my best friend and practically my sister as well."

She turned to Nick Fury,

"Do you know the rumors about Quam Tu?"

"Quam Tu," Fury growled, "Is on our list. He's hacked our systems and Stark's, To most, however, he's just a rumor- said to be the best of the best when it comes to hacking. I hate to admit it, but he would be a valuable asset for SHIELD with his skills- even if he's said to have sold off information to other parties."

"It wasn't valuable information," Gear pitched in, "I do sell info, but not if it can cause harm and I'm not evil. I just sell my own designs for things like hover boards occasionally and sometimes some info about SHIELD, but nothing that can actually harm you…"

"Are you telling me," Fury started, but was interrupted.

"Yep," Gear said nervously, "I'm Quam Tu. The best of the best and I'll have you know that my selling habits are over, thank you very much."

"So," Ava said, "We know everything about you guys now, huh?"

"Right," Ryan and Gear said in sync.

"So what about Danielle?"

"Err, Gear," Ryan said desperately, "Please?"

"Fine," Gear huffed, "Danielle looks fourteen, but she's only two years old. See, Vlad is a very evil man. He tried to kill Mr. Fenton to get Danny, err Phantom, as his son slash apprentice since they are both halfas. Well, he also wanted Mrs. Fenton to be his wife, but… He was desperate. So, he created a clone about two years ago- more than one, the only problem was, they were all unstable except for one- Danielle.

The issue was Danielle was a girl- so she wasn't really a clone. Why she's a girl is another story. Anyway, so she's a girl and Vlad wanted a son, so he hated Danielle. But she couldn't see it. She was on his side for a while until she heard him call her worthless. It hurt her a lot since she thought of him like a father. So, she helped Phantom defeat Vlad and then she disappeared. She went to see the world. Don't worry, I did keep an eye on her and I stayed in touch with her. She's like my little sister just as much as she is Phantom's."

"So that's the story," Ryan and Gear said.

"Interesting," Nick Fury said, "That's the past… So what about your future?"

"What do you mean," Ryan asked hesitantly.

"What I mean is, you've told us your back stories, which is much appreciated, but you still haven't officially answered my own question."

"Which is?"

"How would you and even Miss Gia like to join the team?"

Ryan looked to Gear, who looked ecstatic. They both shared a look. Gear looked at Phantom hopefully, wishing that he would agree. Though her eyes were shining,_ I get to be a superhero!_

Phantom debated the question for a moment. The whole time, he had been denying it- he didn't want to be a hero anymore. Yet, taking down Vlad with his new friends, it brought back something inside of him. They brought back that drive- that passion- for him. They helped him realize that the past is just that- the past. Taking down Vlad also reminded him why he was a hero in the first place- to protect people. It didn't matter if the people thanked you or if you got bad press. What mattered was that you did what was right. _That's it_, he realized, _Gear's right… I need to be a hero again…_

"You got yourself a deal," Phantom and Gear said in sync.

"Does that mean I get a cool superhero name," Gear said with a wide grin as she turned to Coulson, "Since Gear is kind of my real name since everyone calls me that and I can't really be called Quam Tu since everyone will know I exist and I don't want to ruin my rep as Quam Tu since I will be working with SHIELD… What about Lobortis? No? What about Giyara? Gadget? Ilaro? Gieo? Oh! What about Gala? I like Gala or Gieo! But what about Lividity! Or Mechanica! Or even Mecha! I like that one the most! Oh! And do I get a cool superhero outfit now?"

As Gear continued to slightly annoy Coulson, a new life started. Actually, their lives started again- a true fresh start… With new friends, new adventures, a new boyfriend (For Gear), a new little sister (Danielle, who was soon to be put under Gywn Gia's care VIA a court order from SHIELD), and most of all- new memories.


	15. Deleted Scenes

**Author Note: All of these are deleted scenes that were going to be in the story, but in the end I back spaced all of it and decided to not put it in.**

**~CWA**

**DELETED SCENES:**

**A Drunken Gear:**

When Ryan walked inside of the house, he was a bit surprised to see Gear standing in the living room, an empty beer bottle in her hand. Danny, who had followed Ryan to ask one last question, turned bright red at the sight- not from the beer, but from Gear standing there in just purple and black striped underwear that didn't really cover her butt and was low cut in the front. At least she had a shirt on, but considering that she didn't wear a bra either it wasn't helping for the tightness in Danny's pants.

Ryan gave a large sigh as he shook his head, ignoring how uncomfortable Danny was.

"G-Gear," Danny stuttered slightly. She gave a wide grin,

"Hey Danny! Wassup?"

She gave him a large, slightly uncomfortable hug. It was then the rest of the group, curious as to what was taking so long, walked into the house. Sam's eyes popped out of his head as he drooled slightly. Ava nudged him slightly.

"Don't stare," she growled, "Any of you. It's rude."

"B-but," Sam whined, "She has a cute butt!"

"I do have a cute butt," Gear laughed and she turned around to prove her point.

The poor guys turned bright red as they covered their mouths with their hands.

"That does it, I'm asking her out," Sam announced.

"Hey Gear-"

He didn't have a chance to finish his sentence as Ryan walked back into the room. He took the beer bottle out of Gear's hands and wrapped her with a blanket securely. He turned to Danny, Luke, Peter, and Sam and glared.

"If any of you look at her the wrong way, I will end you."

* * *

**The Weapons:**

The group was sitting around the table of the helicarrier, curious to hear Phantom's final answer. Gear, dressed in her dark purple cloak, stood just outside the room. She was stopped since the agents detected too many weapons on her. As a result, she was forced to take off all her weapons. However, they required her to take all the weapons out of her belt as well.

"You said you would hear us out," White Tiger said as she crossed her arms.

"And I did, I never said that it would be a yes. So, I heard you, but no thanks."

"Well why not," Spiderman finally shouted, "Why can't you be a hero?"

"Being a hero brings nothing but trouble," Phantom said.

His eyes were glowing green vividly, yet they held a dark presence.

"But when you're a hero, you fight trouble," Spiderman pointed out.

"That's not what I meant," Phantom said as he rubbed his temples, a headache already starting to form.

Spiderman was on his last nerve,

"Then why? Give us a solid reason why you won't do it and we'll leave you alone!"

"A SOLID REASON," Phantom roared as his last nerve snapped, "A solid reason?! I'll give you a solid reason, how about, oh I don't know- vivisection, betrayal and sorrow! Because being a hero brings those things! It always just brings those things!"

Phantom's body was glowing white slightly as anger flowed off of him. His reply left the team speechless, not sure how to react.

"You misunderstand," Iron Fist finally said, "Being a hero does bring it's own tragedy, but as a hero, you are a Phoenix. You rise from the ashes."

"I… I don't know if I can rise from all the ashes that I'm buried in. Mecha, let's go!"

He turned to see Gear, who insisted to be called Mechanica (which she claimed was her superhero name). The table beside her was filled to the roof with different mechanics, knives, guns, and other weapons. She looked at him in disbelief,

"W-what? But I just, oh come on!"

She grabbed all the weapons in her hands carefully and slowly followed him out of the helicarrier.

* * *

**The Game-Addict:**

Ryan shook his head from the headache as he walked into the living room. He blinked in confusion at what he saw. Gear was sitting on the floor. She had large headphones with a microphone attached on her head despite that her hair was very messy. She wore only her underwear and a dark purple tank top. She had a game controller in her hands and empty bags of chips and empty cans of soda around her.

Gear cheered,

"Bam, bitch!"

"What are you doing," Ryan rubbed his eyes.

"Video games," Gear stuck out her tongue.

"Really? What's your name?"

"Mechanica, but call me Mecha."

Meanwhile, Peter and Sam were at the house also playing video games- and losing.

"Who the heck is Mecha," Sam growled, "Dude we're getting our ass kicked!"

* * *

**The Voice Changer:**

When Gear got back from her meeting with Spiderman, she sighed. She was a bit frustrated since the voice changer wasn't working properly. _I sounded like a freaking cartoon chipmunk…_ With that, her frustration disappeared with a laugh,

"I sounded like a freaking chipmunk!"

With that in mind, she started to add a few more 'voices' to the voice changer.

The next morning, Ryan was confused when he heard noises coming from Gear's room. Making a tough decision, he opened her bedroom door to see her in her pajamas, a dark cloak on her bed, and an odd microphone with an earpiece in her ear.

_"Christmas, Christmas, time is near,"_ Gear said into the microphone.

Ryan held back a laugh since her voice sounded exactly like Alvin the chipmunk.

_"Time for joy and time for cheer."_

Gear laughed to herself and then pressed a button on the earpiece and started to laugh. With the voice changer, the laugh sounded exactly like Spongebob Squarepants. She pressed another button on the earpiece, changing her voice yet again to a few tones deeper,

_"C is for Cookie, that's okay with me!"_

She pressed another button,

_"Luke,"_ she said, her voice turning deep and breathy, _"I am your father."_

With that, Ryan lost all control he had as he burst into laughter. Gear turned pink as she ripped the earpiece and microphone off,

"R-Ryan! How long have you been awake?"


	16. Bonus Chapter

**Author Note: I like Deadpool too much to not do this. Honestly,this started out as a joke when my friend and I realized how horrifying it would be if Deadpool and Gear teamed up.**

**~CWA**

**The Bonus Chapter- Deadpool's Ex:**

**Third Person:**

Phantom raised an eyebrow as a man in a superhero suit burst through the doors. They were currently in a meeting, but apparently it was over.

"Oh, new faces," the guy said excited, "I know you!"

He pointed to Phantom,

"You're that Phantom guy! Oh! Big fan! Big fan!"

"Deadpool," a voice whispered, surprised.

Deadpool turned to see Gear- dressed in her 'superhero' outfit that consisted of a black short low-cut skirt, a black-cropped shirt with a v-neck, a thick metallic belt, her yellow-tinted googles, and metallic boots that went to her knees. She didn't bother with her cloak since she didn't do much fieldwork. She felt a bit like The Oracle from Birds Of Prey/ Batman. She didn't care that outfit was revealing- she hardly ever fought and she hated being confined by jeans (a reason why she normally wore black shorts).

Her metallic arm bracelet was traded out for her other one (the upgraded one) that covered her whole arm, with special mechanisms so that she can bend her arm. She wore the upgraded one only when she was in her superhero outfit simply because it would be recognized. It wasn't as if she did much field work- she was the brains, not the brawns. She usually stayed in the helicarrier, watching the fight from the security cams and working with them through there- along with doing a lot of hacking and creating new gadgets. Still, since she couldn't be known as Quam Tu since she didn't want to ruin her reputation, she was known as Mechanica, Mecha for short.

"Do I know you," Deadpool rubbed his chin, "Oh wait! Are you that girl from Hooters? Oh no! I think you're-"

He stopped as he gave her a long look. She gave a sheepish smile as her dark purple hair framed her face. Deadpool gave a dramatic gasp before he tackled her into a hug,

"Quam Tu! What's new, pussycat? Oh that reminds me of that song!"

"You know him," everyone turned to her surprised.

She rubbed the back of her neck,

"Uh… He's sort of an ex-boyfriend. I did some work with him as Quam Tu. We got a talking and eventually, we ended up dating."

Iron Fist frowned slightly, not very pleased that Gear has dated Deadpool- or anyone really. He knew that he should have known that he wasn't her first boyfriend. It bring a bit of comfort, however, that he knew that he was the first one that she took slow and serious. Though that wasn't exactly very good news since they haven't done anything beyond a few small pecks and kisses. Not once have they even made out.

Gear, however, wasn't too sure how she felt about seeing her ex. He was a bundle of laughs and giggles that was for sure. He was good in bed as well. Yet, there was a reason that she broke up with him. It wasn't the killing. It wasn't the fact that he was insane. The reason she broke up with him was because he said that he loved her. He didn't say it in his odd voice. He said it in his deathly serious voice. He was serious about loving her and that scared her. She didn't believe in love and having a guy say that to her- it was too much.

"You dated that," Phantom asked in disbelief as he pointed to Deadpool, who was singing what's new pussycat.

"I've got flowers, and lots of hours to spend with you~," Deadpool sang as he danced.

"Yeah," Gear said, biting her lip slightly.

"Oh that reminds me," Deadpool hit his head with his hand, "I got something for you!"

He seemed to pull a flower out of nowhere and he handed it to Gear,

"I see that you somehow got even more beautiful and sexier! Oh and I didn't even know that was possible! Haha!"

Gear blushed slightly as Power Man held back Iron Fist from doing something drastic.

"By the way," Deadpool said as he slipped an arm around her shoulder, "I have been doing some thinking! For once anyway! Haha! But you- I was wondering would you like to go on another date? The others went so well!"

"As flattered as I am," Gear laughed as she slipped out of his grasp, "I do have a boyfriend."

She kissed Iron Fist's cheek to prove her point. Deadpool deflated,

"Ah! Bummer! But oh I have business to do! I have to use the big boy's computer!"

He jumped over the table and headed straight to the computer.

"Does Fury even know you're here," Spidey asked, not exactly happy with the anti-hero, or rather the mercenary.

"Haha! Fury's too busy with some alpacas!"

Gear laughed,

"You should've done the llamas!"

"They're not as fluffy, but they spit," Deadpool and Gear said in sync as they laughed.

"Oh, I love you," Deadpool said casually as he wiped a tear from his eye.

Iron Fist growled, but this time it was Spiderman that held him back.

"Oh you know it's just Deadpool being… _Deadpool."_

"Big boy's computer," Gear said as she looked over Deadpool's shoulder, "This is kid's stuff."

"Well maybe if a little flower let me use hers," Deadpool asked.

"No," Gear growled, "You don't touch my tech."

"Oh! Speaking of tech, have any new gadgets," Deadpool said as he spun around in the chair, "I have the money! Oh I have lots of money! I have a bed made of money! You should really try it out!"

Iron Fist glared at Deadpool as he crossed his arms, straining to keep his calm. Gear just shook her head,

"One- no to the bed. Two- Sure to the gadgets, but only if you pay full price with real money. No monopoly money or counterfeit- again."

"Yay," Deadpool cheered as he hugged her again tightly, "Oh! You're so squishy! Oh and by the way, since you're stuck up here all the time, let's go on a mission together!"

"Why don't we join you," Power Man offered.

"Oh no! This mission is for the big guns! Let's go!"

He grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her away despite her protests. It wasn't long before they disappeared through the doors. Phantom patted Iron Fist on the back,

"Dude, if you're worried about her cheating, don't. She might not care much about the physical body or even modesty, but she does care about bonding and loyalty."

"That does little to calm me," Iron Fist growled.

* * *

Deadpool stopped by the helicarrier every day for a full week. It was the longest that he's ever stayed in one place- sort of. Nick Fury still was trying to get his hands on Deadpool, but everything failed- especially since Gear was roped into helping Deadpool escape from Fury's wrath.

Honestly, it was during that week that Gear and Deadpool spent a lot of time together- doing various things that even included braiding hair (his deformed face didn't bother Gear and honestly, the two of them got that bored). It reminded Gear about how much she missed Deadpool and his antics. He was insane, yes, but he was tolerable, smart, and great in bed- the three things that she used to value the most until she met Danny Rand. With Danny, she didn't care if he was smart or even great in bed. He was fine, perfect even, the way he was.

The guy in question wasn't happy about Gear spending so much time Deadpool. He hated to admit it, but he was a bit jealous. More than that, he was worried that Gear might leave him to go back to Deadpool. There was no denying that Deadpool still loved Gear in his own way- his own loud way that made many of them cover their ears from hearing any graphic details about how Deadpool thought she was sexy.

"You're messed up," Gear laughed as Deadpool sat her on top of his small jet- a 'gift' from Tony Stark.

"I know," Deadpool said, his voice lowering. She looked at him,

"But that's okay," she pointed out, "Because this week has been great."

"Haha, I liked it," Deadpool laughed, "But I like you even more! You are so great!"

There were little hearts in Deadpool's eyes as he sighed romantically and stared at her. Gear inched away from him slightly, recognizing the look. She wasn't sure why she was spending so much time for Deadpool and she hated to admit that she still liked the guy- a little bit. The issue was that she liked the other guy too- Danny Rand. No, she didn't just like Danny. She really liked him. _Which is why I'm not gonna screw it up,_ Gear thought.

Deadpool turned serious, however, something that he was capable of when it was absolutely needed. He inched towards Gear as he leaned in slightly.

"You know," he said, his voice lowering in its pitch- his normal, sane voice, "I might be insane, but I think the fact that I'm still in love you is even more crazy."

As if time paused, Deadpool looked towards the reader,

"Bet you didn't expect that, did you? Hahaa!"

Then time resumed. With that, he didn't give her a chance to reply as he lifted up his mask and kissed her. The slightly deformed mouth didn't bother- but the kiss itself did. She pulled away.

"Deadpool," she said sternly, "I'm sorry, but I'm with Iron Fist and I will not break his heart…"

"I understand."

Suddenly, he was back to his 'normal' self as he put the mask down,

"That's okay! But you know I'll always love you! And I'm always here for he breaks your heart, m'kay?"

Speechless, Gear just nodded slowly and Deadpool cheered,

"Yay!"

He pulled out another rose and handed it to her,

"Still besties, m'kay?"

* * *

"Well, it's been fun kiddies," Deadpool said as he wrapped his arm around Gear's shoulders and Iron Fist's,

"But I have some big boy stuff to get too."

"It's been fun, pussycat," Deadpool said as he hugged Gear,

"But oh! You should get a pet cat! Name it Deadpool! Remember me, my love!"

"At least he's leaving," Iron Fist growled under his breath.

Power Man patted Iron Fist on the shoulders,

"Trust me, man, we're all glad that he's gonna be gone."

"Oh," Deadpool said as he started up his jet pack, "And Iron Fist! You're lucky dude! She's really good in bed! The sex is awesome!"

With that he flew away, leaving a red Gear behind and an angry Iron Fist. Iron Fist cried out furiously,

"DEADPOOL!"


End file.
